Ex-Officer and Israel Police Face 354,000-Shekel Civil Suit Over Extortion
A former Tel Aviv police officer convicted of extorting a foreign worker faces a civil lawsuit demanding 354,000 shekels, with plaintiffs holding the Israel Police vicariously liable.
A former patrol officer from the Tel Aviv police station is facing a 354,000-shekel civil lawsuit following a criminal conviction for abusing his position, which resulted in a lenient sentence of community service. The lawsuit, scheduled for its first hearing next week, is also directed against the Israel Police, demanding that vicarious liability be imposed for the severe actions of someone who was supposed to enforce the law.
The case centers around Nazih Saeb, who served as a patrol officer at the Shechem station in Tel Aviv. According to the original indictment filed against him by the Police Internal Investigations Department (PIID) in August 2018, Saeb exploited his familiarity with the illegal gambling world among the city's foreign worker community. The officer discovered that a Nepali citizen named Hobi Prashad Bachusal operated as a "bank" for many foreign workers who were not permitted to maintain official bank accounts in Israel, keeping large sums of money in his apartment.
The Raid and the Plea Bargain
On June 15, 2018, Saeb allegedly decided to act on his own accord and, without a search warrant, broke into Bachusal's apartment, smashed the door, overturned furniture, and threatened him with a drawn weapon. During the raid, Saeb discovered 319,000 shekels and 18,000 dollars hidden under a basin in the bathroom, and allegedly took the bag for himself.
Despite the initial heavy suspicions, in December 2023 Saeb signed a plea bargain. As part of the arrangement, an amended indictment was filed in which the prosecution withdrew the weapon threat charge and downgraded the robbery charge to a lesser offense of "demanding property under threats." Saeb admitted to arriving at the scene in uniform, armed with a police tablet, and taking the money.
"Our client experienced a double and manifold injustice," said attorneys Sarig and Veffler. "First, a police officer in uniform extorted money from him, and then he was deported from the country in disgrace, without being given the basic right to remain and manage his trial."
Civil Lawsuit and State Response
The civil lawsuit, amounting to 354,000 shekels, consists of 154,000 shekels as compensation for the remainder of the stolen money and 200,000 shekels for damages and emotional distress. The plaintiffs demand vicarious liability be placed on the Israel Police, claiming negligence in psychological screening and supervision.
The Tel Aviv District Prosecutor's Office, representing the Ministry of National Security and the police, rejects any connection to the incident, stating that the defendant's status as an officer does not create police liability. The Israel Police emphasized that Saeb was dismissed following the affair.
