A Rishon Lezion deputy mayor suspected of committing sexual offenses against a municipal employee was released on Monday after five days in police custody, as the investigation into the allegations continues.
The Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court ordered the official to two days of house arrest, barred him from the municipality for 30 days, and prohibited him from contacting the complainant or others involved in the case.
The deputy mayor was arrested last week following an investigation that had been conducted covertly for roughly two months. The investigation was opened following a complaint by a municipal employee.
Investigators held a confrontation between the deputy mayor and the complainant on Sunday as part of the investigation.
Dispute over sexual consent proves central issue in court case
At the center of the case is a dispute over whether sexual contact between the two was consensual. The complainant has maintained that it was not, while the deputy mayor has denied committing a sexual offense and said any sexual contact was consensual.
His defense has also argued that the complaint was retaliatory and connected to disputes within the municipality.
Police did not seek to keep the deputy mayor in custody beyond the five-day remand period, and the investigation remains ongoing.