Former Netanyahu aide testifies in submarine affair
Shalom Shlomo, who worked as adviser to PM from 2006-2009, questioned by police based on information given by state witness Miki Ganor
A former adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Shalom Shlomo, gave testimony to police Tuesday in connection with the corruption investigation into a multi-billion-dollar purchase of naval vessels from Germany, officials said.
Shlomo was an adviser to Netanyahu between 2006 and 2009, before Netanyahu started his second stint as prime minister. He also subsequently worked for Jewish Home party leader Naftali Bennett.
Shlomo, like Netanyahu, is not currently a suspect in the affair, known as Case 3000, that authorities suspect involved bribery and other corruption surrounding the purchase of submarines and other naval vessels from Germany.
He was questioned by Lahav 433, the police anti-corruption unit, following information given by Miki Ganor, who had been the local representative of German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp. After being identified as a key suspect in the case, Ganor turned state’s witness in July.
Investigators suspect that Ganor, along with former National Security Council deputy head Avriel Bar-Yosef, paid bribes in connection with the decision to buy three submarines from ThyssenKrupp, despite opposition from the Defense Ministry.
They also reportedly influenced decisions to buy naval corvettes to protect Israel’s offshore gas fields and awarded ThyssenKrupp a contract to service other naval vessels.
While Netanyahu is not suspected in the case, his personal lawyer, David Shimron, has been questioned several times by Lahav 433, the police anti-corruption unit.
Ganor has reportedly claimed that Shimron (who was also his attorney) was to receive 20 percent of his own commission of $45 million. Shimron was hired by Ganor to negotiate the ship and submarine purchases.
In a statement given to his attorneys, Shimron reportedly denied he was to receive a cut from the deal beyond his legal fees.
When he turned state’s witness, Ganor was suspected of fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to commit a crime. He has reportedly been transferred to a police safe house.
Earlier on Tuesday a former commander of the navy’s elite Shayetet 13 commando unit, who was arrested in connection with the investigation, was named Tuesday as Brigadier General (res.) Shay Brosh.
On Monday, Eliezer (Moodi) Sandberg, a former minister and associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was named as another suspect in the ever-expanding corruption investigation. The same day police named Rami Taib, a senior aide to Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, as a suspect in the investigation. Taib was arrested on suspicion of bribery, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit a crime. Steinitz has not be identified as a suspect in the case, but was expected to give police testimony.
Brosh was arrested on Sunday along with five other suspects including David Sharan, who served as Netanyahu’s bureau chief from late 2014 to 2016, and who is suspected of bribe-taking, fraud, breach of trust, and conspiring to commit a crime. Also arrested were senior reserve IDF officers and strategic adviser Nati Mor, who has worked with several senior government officials.