Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Turgeman
Photo: Yariv Katz
Details of Jerusalem deputy mayor's alleged criminal affairs emerge
Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Turgeman revealed to have been arrested for bribery, fraud and breach of trust, abuse of power and tax offenses along with 5 others and has yet to be released from remand; Turgeman allegedly used pull with city's Planning and Construction Committee to advance interests of 2 others suspected in probe.
Police has revealed the details of the charges against Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Meir Turgeman, detailing his alleged involvement in two separate criminal affairs.
Turgeman, they claim, exploited his status as deputy mayor and chairman of the city's Planning and Construction Committee to advance the interests of two others suspected of involvement in the affair.
Meir Turgeman in court (Photo: Yariv Katz)
Koresh Hotel
The first affair began, according to the police, in 2013.Real estate developers Moshe Haba and David Kleiner—also arrested as part of the probe—sought to make changes to a building housing a British Mandate-era post office in the capital's Jaffa Street. The same building currently houses a hotel the two own— the Koresh Hotel.
Due to its historical significance, the property is subject to strict preservation laws. Despite this, and contrary to the position of the municipality's own preservation committee, the two made structural changes to the building.
According to the police, Turgeman was interrogated on suspicion that he had taken care to advance the interests of the two vis-à-vis the building in return for monetary gain.
The Koresh Hotel (Photo: Yuval Ozeri)
Artemisia Events Hall
In the second investigation, police suspects Turgeman used his position to promote the interests of the owners of the Artemisia Events Hall in Jerusalem's Talpiot industrial zone.
In exchange, it is suspected Turgeman held events in the hall without charge—including a Rosh Hashanah celebration and his granddaughter's brita (female version of a brit, where no circumcision is done and the birth of the daughter is marked with a solely celebratory event—ed).
The remand of the hall's owner, David Avraham, was also extended until Thursday.
A covert investigation dating back to 2016
The police said that "Turgeman's account was inconsistent with the investigation materials."His arrest, like the arrest of five other suspects detained over involvement in the affair, was extended until Thursday.
The covert investigation into the matter, a police representative revealed in a hearing on Monday, has been ongoing ince 2016. The offenses attributed to Turgeman are bribery, fraud and breach of trust, abuse of power and tax offenses.
