Jerusalem, 26 February, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s State Attorney’s Office filed a preliminary indictment on Thursday against 14 individuals linked to one of the country’s most significant municipal corruption cases in recent years. Among those charged are the head and deputy of the so-called Bakri criminal organization and the former mayor of Nazareth, Ali Salam. The charges follow a months-long investigation into what authorities have described as a mafia-style takeover of the city’s finances, dubbed the “Money Maze” affair.
The investigation revealed extensive financial misconduct involving the misuse of public funds.
“During the open investigation, which lasted about 80 days and included the detention of many defendants, the team uncovered serious offenses rarely prosecuted under the Law for Combating Criminal Organizations,” police said. The law, authorities note, allows for significantly harsher penalties for organized crime figures.
The indictment alleges that Samir Bakri, 35, and his deputy Muhammad Fakhuri, 33, effectively controlled the municipality’s financial operations, siphoning tens of millions of shekels through inflated contracts, fabricated tenders, and fictitious projects. Former Mayor Salam, 74, and his aides are accused of acting as facilitators, laundering money, and engaging in blackmail and threats. Authorities estimate that Salam personally stole approximately NIS 25 million ($8 million) between 2015 and 2022, with an additional NIS 26 million ($8.3 million) taken after Bakri seized control of a security company contracted by the municipality.
In total, the defendants are suspected of misappropriating roughly NIS 51 million ($16.4 million).
A major breakthrough came when investigators, following tips from a state witness, discovered a backpack containing “live” checks worth approximately NIS 109 million ($35.1 million) in an apartment in Nazareth.
“In a few years, we will all know that there is a police force here we can trust,” Police Commissioner Danny Levy said. “We will crush the criminal organizations. Cynicism has taken over our country a bit, but we are serious people. We despise cynicism toward the Israel Police.”
Salam’s alleged misconduct contrasts with his previous public reputation. In 2017, then-Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich visited him, and in 2021, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described him as “energetic and successful.” In June 2025, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel dismissed Salam and the city council amid the mounting deficit and intelligence linking municipal officials to criminal activity. A committee headed by Yaakov Efrati was appointed to manage the city.
Nazareth, a city of around 78,000, has suffered severe consequences from the alleged corruption, including economic collapse and deteriorating municipal infrastructure. On Wednesday night, Israel’s High Court of Justice heard a petition from environmental officials about daily fires stemming from the city’s garbage crisis.
Related Topics
