Koby Kahlon, the brother of Kulanu chairman Moshe Kahlon and deputy mayor of Jerusalem, has denied serious allegations leveled against him of fraud and breach of trust Friday, claiming it is a political tactic. 

“I say that this is a political move, and the case will be closed – on the police’s recommendation,” Kahlon stated.

Kahlon added that the allegations, which are already old news, are an attempt to harm Kulanu, which recently fell in polls from a projected 10-11 seats to just seven. 

“I would like to mention the fact that this is a case that was already investigated two and a half years ago, and was closed after it was found that there was no evidential basis for it,” Kahlon said. 

”They started to blackmail me because of allegations against me and today I used a key state witness against a senior police officer in the case,” he added.

Elite police unit Lahav 433 allegedly connected Kahlon with illegal money transfers from a Jerusalem contractor to an organized crime boss, according to Walla! News, while he was chairman of the Municipal Committee on Planning and Construction.

The connection represents a conflict of interest and he may have helped the contracting company illegally, according to the allegations.