The mayor of Ramat Gan, Carmel Shama-HaCohen, was interrogated with his wife on suspicion of tax offenses

The mayor of Ramat Gan, Carmel Shama-HaCohen, was interrogated on Monday along with his wife for hours at the Tax Authority on suspicion of tax offenses they had committed. At the end of the investigation, the two were released under restrictive conditions. In a post on Facebook, Shamma HaCohen referred to the investigation.

"I have nothing to hide - I have not been asked a single question about the Ramat Gan municipality or my previous public positions," he wrote. "The investigation concerning the private affairs of a company's reports, which I established 24 years ago and which I resigned from managing 13 years ago in accordance with the duty imposed on every member of the Knesset."
The mayor of Ramat Gan also said that he was asked about the income from the apartments owned by him and his family. "I cooperated fully in the investigation and naturally I cannot go into more detail on the subject at this stage," continued Shamma-HaCohen. "Even on this unpleasant day, I continue to believe in the legal authorities and that after examining the matter they will come to the conclusion that the case should be closed."
Shama HaCohen joins other elected officials who have been involved in corruption scandals. For example, the mayor of Petah Tikva, Rami Greenberg, was recently arrested along with the director general of the municipality and two other men on suspicion of committing crimes of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. They are also suspected of false registration in corporate documents, money laundering and offenses according to the Income Tax Ordinance and the Tax Law Value Added.
The police investigation began following a suspicion that during the 2018 local government election campaign, interested parties transferred funds totaling hundreds of thousands of shekels to Greenberg's mayoral election campaign - and in return, the latter promised them that he would work to advance their economic affairs after his election. The investigation is conducted in collaboration with the Diamond Unit of the Tax Authority and is accompanied by the Economic Department of the State Attorney's Office.
Also, in October of last year, an indictment was filed against Hadera Mayor Zvika Gendelman for serious crimes of public corruption. In summary, the indictment charges him with various offenses of fraud and breach of trust, false information or false output, obtaining something by fraud and obstruction of justice. This, due to acts done by him, allegedly, "throughout his first term as mayor of Hadera, in connection with his duties as mayor and as a holder of other positions, and while clearly taking advantage of his status and public role."