Following the "soccer players" fraud case: ongoing investigation reveals evidence leading to expand the investigation to soccer referees
Following the May press releases, revealing to the public the investigation by National Insurance investigators and the Zion Crimes Unit, which found that soccer players from the Premier league and other leagues were suspected of fraudulently receiving disability pensions from the National Insurance, for fictitious non-existing impairments.
About 50 players were questioned, some of whom were interrogated several times, during which they were shown their correspondence with a lawyer indicating that some of them were aware of the "bribing relationship" between the lawyer representing them and the refereeing medical doctor.
Some of the soccer players issued a gag order to avoid the publication of their names.
As mentioned, the correspondence shows that some of them are aware of the bribery method between their lawyer and medical doctor, and among the findings are exchanges in which the lawyer tells the players sentences such as: "If it weren't for the Haredim and the Arabs, we would have brought down the National Insurance Institute" and the player replies: "That's right."
Another exchange quote: "Until he (the player) owns 3 houses paid for by the National Insurance, I won't stop." - "God willing, for you too".
Furthermore, with the joint investigation of the National Insurance's investigators with the Crime Unit, it was found that soccer referees and referee auditors were also questioned in the affair and even confessed to the fraud they were suspected of.
In addition, last night, 3 team managers were questioned: Hapoel Beer Sheva, Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Haifa - some of the money paid by the National Insurance was transferred directly to the team, which undertook to return the money that was taken illegally.
Another team, also in the Premier League, was found to employ a so-called "medical doctor" who failed the Ministry of Health's certification exams several times and posed as a team physician, issuing medical certificates to players for them to submit to the National Insurance. The National Insurance Institute's investigators found that this individual used the seals of other qualified doctors.
It should be noted that the case has been conducted from the beginning along with the Southern Criminal District Attorney's Office with a closely accompanying prosecutor.
Amir Sharabani, Director of the National Insurance's Investigations Division: "Working together with the Zion Crimes Unit, the investigation gained momentum. The investigators worked day and night to unpack all the media exchange materials in the suspects' possession, processed the data, and continued to investigate at full strength. This is a very complicated and complex investigation that requires a lot of cooperation and many resources, and I have no doubt that when the details are revealed, the public will understand that their money is being treated very seriously, and we will not stay quiet until all the funds are duly returned."