As graft investigations wrap up, Netanyahu replaces defense team

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is replacing his defense team in three graft investigations amid reports that police are about to complete their work in the last of the cases and turn their evidence over to prosecutors and the attorney general to decide whether to indict the premier.

Going forward, Netanyahu will reportedly be represented by attorney Navot Tel-Zur, an experienced defender of public figures in graft probes, including former prime ministers Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, Hadashot television news reports.

Former Tel Aviv District Court judge Oded Mudrick is joining the team as an adviser, the report says. Mudrick is a longtime colleague of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who will be making the final decision on indicting Netanyahu, having served with him in the past as a judge in the IDF’s internal justice system.

Netanyahu’s decision comes as police are said to have largely completed their investigation in “Case 4000,” in which Netanyahu is suspected of arranging a quid pro quo deal with Bezeq telecom giant majority owner Shaul Elovitch to grant Bezeq regulatory benefits in exchange for positive coverage in the Elovitch-owned Walla news site.

Police investigators already submitted their findings and recommendations in the other two corruption cases, dubbed cases 1000 and 2000, earlier this year. The former concerns expensive gifts given to the Netanyahu family by wealthy businessmen. The latter is an alleged attempt to set up a quid pro quo deal with Yedioth Aharonoth publisher Arnon Mozes to back legislation weakening a rival newspaper in exchange for positive coverage of Netanyahu.