Gag order imposed on Vienna missing women probe; family: ‘They did not withdraw money

“Any publication from this point onward constitutes a criminal offense,” police stressed.

The case was transferred Wednesday to Lahav 433, where a special investigative team was established and began working with police representatives in Austria.

A preliminary Israel Police review found indications that the two women were not abducted and may have left their apartment voluntarily. Investigators are examining an indication that location data was deleted from their mobile phones in the days before they disappeared. They are also looking into the possibility that the mother and daughter had obtained a significant amount of cash.

The family issued a statement overnight in response to the reports, saying relatives had given testimony to Lahav 433 and provided investigators with all the information in their possession.

“The Yahalomi family views with great concern the briefings and reports circulated in recent hours in the name of officials in the Israel Police spokesperson’s division, which create the public impression that a conclusion has already been reached regarding the circumstances of Mali and Liel’s disappearance,” the statement said.

The family said “some of the information published was not presented to the family, and the family has information that substantially contradicts some of the claims raised in the reports. This information was also presented to the family by official Israel Police representatives who were in contact with them.”

The statement added that, according to information provided by Israel Police, there had been no unusual activity in Mali and Liel’s bank accounts and the last transaction took place Aug. 3.

“If Israel Police has data and documents supporting the claims that were published, the family asks that they be presented as part of the investigation and examined against the information in the family’s possession,” it said.

The family therefore said it wanted to make clear that, “contrary to what was published by the police spokesperson’s office, at this stage there is no basis for ruling out the possibility of a nationalist-motivated terror attack.”

“Mali and Liel Yahalomi have been out of contact since Friday evening, Aug. 7. The loss of contact is completely out of character. Throughout the trip they remained in touch with the family, shared photos and experiences, and then contact with them suddenly stopped,” the family said.

The family added: “As long as Mali and Liel have not been located, and as long as the possibility of a terror attack has not been ruled out on the basis of clear findings, the family demands that Israel Police, security and intelligence agencies and the Austrian authorities continue to examine this scenario seriously and with all the means at their disposal.

“The family is not seeking to determine through the media what happened to Mali and Liel. By the same token, it is not prepared to accept a situation in which the scenario that they voluntarily cut off contact is treated as a conclusion before the investigation has been completed.”