Israel Court Approves Precedent-Setting Civil Forfeiture Over Protection Fees
The Beersheba District Court approved a settlement in a precedent-setting civil forfeiture case, ordering 165,000 shekels seized in a protection racketeering investigation to be forfeited to the state.
In a precedent-setting civil proceeding as part of the fight against extortion and protection fees, the Southern District Prosecutor's Office (Civil) and the Civil Enforcement Unit at the State Prosecutor's Office submitted a request to forfeit funds seized during an investigation into protection racketeering offenses, despite the absence of a criminal conviction.
Court Approval of the Settlement
Recently, the Beersheba District Court gave the validity of a judgment to a compromise agreement, under which 165,000 shekels will be forfeited to the state from funds seized from the company "A.G. Galim Guarding, Security and Cleaning Ltd." and from Makram Abu Zakiqa.
As part of the procedure, filed as part of the economic struggle against the phenomenon of protection fees and as a civil tool supplementing criminal enforcement tools, the state requested to forfeit 330,000 shekels seized by the police during an investigation. 300,000 shekels were seized from A.G. Galim and 30,000 shekels from Abu Zakiqa.
"This procedure expresses another tier in the fight against the phenomenon of protection fee collection. Alongside criminal enforcement, we also operate with civil and economic tools aimed at harming the economic viability of the activity," the State Prosecutor's Office stated.
Revocation of Licenses
In the compromise agreement, the company and Abu Zakiqa agreed that the factual and legal infrastructure for the forfeiture request exists. In accordance with the agreements, half of the seized amount, 165,000 shekels, was forfeited to the state, and the remaining half will be returned to the respondents. Judge Geula Levin of the Beersheba District Court approved the settlement agreement and gave it the validity of a judgment.
In addition, a few months ago, the Committee for Licensing Private Investigators and Guarding Services in the Ministry of Justice decided to revoke the license of the guarding company and the license of the guarding organizer. An appeal has been filed by the company regarding this decision.
