Netanyahu arrives in court to listen to testimony of former AG Mandelblit, who indicted him

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in court to listen to the testimony of former attorney general Avichai Mandelblit, who is being questioned by the premier’s defense team at the Jerusalem District Court this morning.

Mandelblit was the attorney general who indicted Netanyahu on charges of fraud breach of trust and bribery.

Questioned by Netanyahu’s defense attorney Amit Hadad, Mandelblit says that he had stated at one stage during the police investigations that he thought the police were working behind his back.

Hadad also asks Mandelblit if he had authorized every police action taken during the investigation into the prime minister, and the former attorney general says he did not, but that this is permissible and that he approved all the principal investigative actions.

Mandelblit says that he was angered by the police placing a wiretap on Netanyahu’s then-chief of staff Natan Eshel and that it was subsequently stopped.

Netanyahu has in the past accused Mandelblit of having indicted him in order to have him removed from office, which Mandelblit has denied.

Netanyahu’s lawyers have request that Mandelblit testify from October 11 to October 22, ending five days before the October 27 election.