JERUSALEM (JTA) — Former Israeli chief rabbi Yona Metzger was arrested on suspicion of bribe taking and other offenses during his decade-long tenure.
Metzger was arrested Monday following an investigation of several months. A Petach Tikvah court remanded the ex-Ashkenazic chief rabbi to police custody for nine days.
Metzger is accused of accepting monetary and material bribes in exchange for advancing the interests of several nonprofit organizations. The amount of the bribes equals several million shekels, according to reports.
According to the Israel Police National Fraud squad, Metzger also tried to silence witnesses and interfere in the investigation, according to reports.
He was questioned about the alleged offenses in June, at the end of his stint as chief rabbi, and was placed under house arrest.
Metzger served as chief rabbi from 2003 until earlier this year.
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