Arab Labor activists could be indicted

Police suspect 10 of forgery in '07 primary; probe shows possible falsified signatures in registrars.

By JPOST.COM STAFF, YAAKOV LAPPIN, SHELLY PAZ
Barak 224 88 (photo credit: AP [file])
Barak 224 88
(photo credit: AP [file])
Police have recommended the indictment of 10 Labor activists from the Arab sector on suspicion of forgery during the party's primaries in 2007, Israel Radio reported on Thursday morning. On Wednesday, police announced that evidence had been found during a National Fraud Unit investigation to suggest that a number of signatures were forged in voters' registrars. The probe focused on 10 ballot boxes - eight in the North and two in the Negev region. "In some of the ballot boxes, evidence was found linking voting officials with forged signatures," police said in a statement. The National Fraud Unit has now passed the case on to state prosecutors, who will decide whether to file charges. The Labor Party said in response that the findings of the police investigation had not been shown to them, and therefore they refused to comment on the matter. "The Labor Party puts a lot of financial resources into securing the party's internal elections. Only a week ago, we invested almost NIS 500,000 in supervision of the party's primary. Clearly this is not something we are wishing for," Labor spokesman Lior Rothbart said on Wednesday. Former Labor MK Ami Ayalon, who ran against Ehud Barak in the 2007 primary, said he had given the police enough evidence of wrongdoing in the election a year-and-a-half ago, and he did not understand why it had taken them so long to open an investigation. "It was clear as day that there were forgeries," Ayalon said on Wednesday. "I am sorry it took them so long." Gil Hoffman contributed to this report.