Ex-coalition whip grilled for 9th time in bribery probe

David Bitan says he will cooperate with anti-fraud police investigating suspicions he accepted hundreds of thousands of shekels in bribes

Likud MK David Bitan was questioned by police Tuesday as part of an ongoing investigation into suspicions he accepted hundreds of thousands of shekels in bribes, some of which were allegedly received after he became a member of Knesset.

It was Bitan’s ninth questioning by the Lahav 433 national fraud unit’s investigators about the case.

Bitan, who was silent in some of his previous rounds of questioning, conveyed through his lawyer Tuesday morning that he intends to fully cooperate with investigators.

The coalition lawmaker also cooperated during his last round of questioning in July, Channel 10 news reported last month.

In April, Hadashot news reported that police were planning to recommend indicting Bitan.

Bitan — who stepped down as coalition whip after it was revealed he was being investigated, but remains a sitting Knesset member — is also likely to be charged with money laundering and tax offenses, the TV news station reported.

He is suspected of receiving the money, both while serving as deputy mayor of Rishon Lezion and later, as a member of parliament, from his business associate Moshe Yosef and from businessman Dror Glazer, who have both testified against Bitan.

Investigators reportedly hold specific information on how the suspected bribes and money transfers were handled, in light of the testimony from Yosef, who owns a furniture store where police suspect the bribes were given to Bitan.

Bitan was confronted with Yosef’s testimony during an interrogation on January 28. In a major development, Yosef reportedly gave a detailed account, telling investigators that the bribes were frequent, including during the past five years. Yosef told investigators that he had delivered hundreds of thousands of shekels to Bitan during visits the Likud lawmaker made to Yosef’s Metzada store.

The investigation, dubbed Case 1803, has seen the arrests of a number of suspects in addition to Zur, including other Rishon Lezion city officials, local businessmen, and organized crime figures.

Bitan denies any wrongdoing.