MK said to claim Netanyahu would make him police minister to curb graft probes

A senior lawmaker loyal to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reportedly recorded by police saying the premier had promised to make him public security minister, with his associates taped saying the goal was to replace Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich, who is overseeing several high-profile corruption probes against Netanyahu.

During an undercover police investigation against Likud MK David Bitan, who was coalition whip at the time, the lawmaker was recorded saying “Netanyahu arranged with me that I would become public security minister. He is afraid of the media, but [the appointment] is agreed upon,” Hadashot TV reported Monday.

Bitan was said to make the remarks in a conversation with Moshe Yosef, his close friend, who would later turn state witness and testify against him in a bribery case.

Bitan stepped down in December as coalition whip, after it emerged he was suspected of receiving bribes when serving as deputy mayor of Rishon Lezion, as well as a member of Knesset.

Friends and associates of Bitan were also reportedly recorded discussing the ultimately unfulfilled plan to remove Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan from office, saying Bitan would appoint a police commissioner who is more “convenient” for Netanyahu than incumbent Alsheich.

“Immediately when he is appointed, Bitan will get rid of Roni Alsheich,” the unnamed friends and sources were quoted as saying. “Instead, he’ll look for a police commissioner who is more convenient, with whom it is possible to work.”

The friends then added that Bitan had asked them to find suitable candidates, mentioning several names, which the report did not detail.

They were quoted as saying Bitan would try to hinder the graft investigations against Netanyahu.

The associates said that according to the plan, Erdan would lose his position as public security minister, but remain strategic affairs minister, at least for some time.

“If he talks too much, he will be booted from the government,” they were quoted as saying.

Bitan rejected the report, responding that “there was no conversation between me and Netanyahu on the issue of the Public Security Ministry. The office is headed by a Likud minister. Again police are leaking untrue gossip that has nothing to do with the ongoing investigation.”

Netanyahu’s office said the reported details were “baseless.”

“The prime minister didn’t intend to appoint him as public security minister, and he also doesn’t involve himself in the issue of the police commissioner.”

Police in February recommended bribery indictments against the prime minister in two corruption cases.

In Case 1000, the so-called gifts scandal, Netanyahu is suspected of “systematically” demanding benefits worth about NIS 1 million ($282,000) from billionaire benefactors, including Arnon Milchan and Australian resort owner James Packer, in exchange for favors.

Case 2000 involves a suspected illicit quid-pro-quo deal between Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper publisher Arnon Mozes that would have seen the prime minister weaken a rival daily, the Sheldon Adelson-backed Israel Hayom, in return for more favorable coverage from Yedioth.

Police are still to establish recommendations in Case 4000, in which Netanyahu is suspected of advancing regulatory decisions benefiting Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder in Bezeq, the country’s largest telecommunications firm — despite opposition from the Communication Ministry’s career officials — in exchange for positive coverage from Elovitch’s Walla news site.

Netanyahu has denied wrongdoing in all of the cases.