The Police Investigations Department in the State Prosecutor Office lifted the gag order on the investigation into Commissioner Manny Binyamin, following the transfer to an open probe in a wide-ranging case led by the Northern Major Crimes Unit in cooperation with the department.
As part of the case, several arrests were made, among others the former mayor of Nazareth, his associates, and senior figures in the 'Bakhri' crime organization.
According to the report, the suspicion against Commissioner Binyamin is that he acted in a conflict of interest by maintaining an undisclosed personal relationship with the former mayor and even sharing police information with him.
Binyamin, who realized evidence had been collected against him, is suspected of acting with police personnel in the north to transfer investigation materials to another unit that was also under his authority.
Machash investigated him on suspicion of breach of trust and abuse of power in office.
According to the statement, he is currently under restrictive conditions, including a ban on contacting those involved in the case. The investigation, managed by an exposure team at Machash, is ongoing.
During the night, hundreds of Northern District police officers and Border Police officers raided compounds associated with leaders of the 'Bakhri' crime organization. Senior figures in the network were arrested alongside businessmen and municipal officials, past and present, as part of the 'Money Maze' affair.
According to the suspicion, there was deep involvement by municipal actors in collaboration with the crime organization, which led to an effective takeover of the management of the municipality's finances. It is alleged that public funds were transferred to the organization through various channels, while pressure was exerted on senior employees.
The 'Bakhri' organization is associated with extensive criminal activity in the north, including collecting protection payments, extortion by threats, takeover of public tenders, and in recent years also involvement in killings as part of power struggles with rival crime groups.
This case has been revealed shortly after the 'Prince' affair, in which a state witness was used against the 'Abu Latif' and 'Hariri' organizations. In that affair many were arrested, including senior figures in the 'Abu Latif' organization.