Prosecution asks for Milchan to begin testimony in Netanyahu trial next month

By Yuval Yoaz 16 May 2023, 7:01 pm

1 Edit

Yuval Yoaz is the legal analyst at Zman Israel, The Times of Israel's sister Hebrew website. He practices law, specializing in public, constitutional and media laws, and is the founder of Israel Democracy Guard. He is a partner in the law office of Karniel & Co Yoaz-Bareket-Jonas.

Arnon Milchan poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'Widows,' showing as part of the opening gala of the BFI London Film Festival in London, on October 10, 2018. (Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Prosecutors ask the court to have Arnon Milchan, an Israeli Hollywood film producer who is a key witness in former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial, begin his testimony next month.

Milchan will testify via video from London after the court rejected a demand from the defense to force him to testify in person.

The prosecution says Milchan’s testimony will take at least a week, excluding an expected cross-examination by the defense.

The judges will rule tomorrow on how to proceed with Milchan’s testimony.

Case 1000 — one of the three cases Netanyahu faces charges in — involves suspicions that he illicitly accepted gifts including cigars and champagne from two billionaires, Milchan and Australian magnate James Packer.

Milchan was not charged in the case, while Netanyahu was indicted for fraud and breach of trust. The ex-premier is also charged with fraud in the other two cases, and bribery in one of them. He denies all wrongdoing.