Egyptian, 3 Israelis charged as spies

Three Israelis and an Egyptian who holds Canadian citizenship are charged with spying for Israel, a state prosecutor said.

Mohamed Essam Ghoneim Attar, 31, was arrested and charged, the prosecutor said, and the rest of the suspected spy ring members, who are in Turkey and Canada, were charged in absentia.

The Israelis are accused of recruiting Attar in 2001. Intelligence agents allegedly helped him obtain Canadian residency under a fake name and find work in a bank. The prosecutor said he was paid to spy on Egyptians and other Arabs and used his position in the bank to obtain information on specific accounts.