Rama Local Council Head Convicted After Plea in Extortion Case

Shauki Abu Latif, elected head of the Rama Local Council and later suspended, was convicted by the Haifa District Court on Monday. He admitted as part of a plea agreement to assisting extortion by threats, fraud, and breach of trust. The case centered on the collection of protection money from factory owners in the Rama area.

According to the amended indictment, the owners had faced months of gunfire, arson, and threats. The owners turned to Abu Latif because of his position and family ties, hoping he could stop the violence. Instead, Abu Latif relayed messages from the extortionists.

The messages stated that an original debt had been reduced to NIS 1 million in exchange for ending the violence. The money was to be paid in installments, with the first payment of NIS 40,000 in cash handed over in Abu Latif's office.

Under the plea agreement, the prosecution said it would ask the court to sentence Abu Latif to 11 months in prison, along with a suspended sentence, a fine, and a finding that his actions carried moral turpitude. The case was filed in 2023 as part of a broader police investigation into protection-money collection in northern Israel.

The original indictment alleged that factory owners sought help from Abu Latif and others after violent incidents.