Referral of 8 defendants to the Corruption Crimes Court in a case of encroachment on state property in Jericho

SadaNews: The Public Prosecution, through the Corruption Crimes Prosecution and within its legal jurisdiction, referred today, Tuesday, eight defendants to the Corruption Crimes Court for committing crimes affecting state property in the Nabi Musa area - Jericho and the Jordan Valley, after completing investigations and gathering technical, financial, and legal evidence according to the legal procedures.

The investigations concluded with the prosecution of five public employees, a practicing lawyer, and two businessmen for committing crimes of encroaching on state property by proving their involvement in filling and obstructing natural channels documented in reality and on maps, allowing them to seize hundreds of dunams and register them as private property for their personal gain, resulting in the illegal conversion of public lands into private ownership and achieving significant financial benefits.

The financial investigations revealed large deposits in the accounts of some defendants reaching millions of shekels, attributed to proceeds from transactions involving the lands in question, constituting a money laundering crime stemming from original crimes affecting public funds.

The Public Prosecution confirmed that the crimes attributed to the defendants according to official technical reports and the legal evidence concluded from the investigations involve a compound assault on public money, coupled with the exploitation of functional and professional qualities to achieve unlawful benefits, undermining the system of protection for state property. The Public Prosecution emphasized that all procedures, including detentions, were carried out based on judicial decisions in accordance with the guarantees provided by law.

While referring the case file to the competent judiciary, the Public Prosecution renewed its commitment to pursue anyone proven to be involved in the assault on public funds, regardless of their status, glorifying the rule of law and embodying the principle of accountability.