Police recommend indicting Rehovot mayor

"The police's central investigations unit recommended Wednesday that Rehovot mayor, Yehoshua Forer, be charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

Investigators recently finished probing allegations against Forer, and have transmitted their findings to the state prosecution, along with a recommendation to indict the mayor. The probe was launched four years ago, after suspicions arose that a Rehovot contractor paid off a debt accumulated by Forer during the 1998 local election campaign.

Investigators suspect that the contractor paid off Forer's debt, and in exchange was awarded projects without tenders, valued at millions of shekels.

In addition, police finished investigating a related case involving Rehovot's Deputy Mayor Haim Avraham, who is suspected of breach of trust after he was responsible for an agreement signed between a car leasing company and the city, without a tender. Avraham allegedly received perks in exchange."

Source: Roni Singer. Police recommend indicting Rehovot mayor. Haaretz Daily (9 February 2005) [FullText]