Police seeking to question Netanyahus in Bezeq case before Passover – report

Israel Police have asked the attorney general for permission to question Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his wife Sara, and possibly also their son Yair before the Passover holiday, which begins on March 30, in connection with the Bezeq corruption probe.

The expectation is that the Netanyahus will be confronted with initial testimony from Nir Hefetz, their former media adviser, who has turned state’s witness, Hadashot News reported Wednesday, although it is not clear whether Hefetz himself will be in the room.

Hefetz, released from house arrest on Tuesday, is providing testimony on a daily basis at the headquarters of the Lahav 433 anti-corruption unit in Lod in central Israel — testimony that is expected to continue for up to two weeks, the report said.

Hefetz has reportedly told police investigators he is willing to “confront” Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, under police observation.

A statement issued Thursday by the Netanyahu said, “What a surprise! Less than a day after successfully solving the coalition crisis [over the exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from compulsory military service], another leak from the investigations is made public by the media in order to ensure that the subject doesn’t disappear from the headlines, even for a day.”

Case 4000 involves suspicions that Netanyahu made regulatory decisions as communications minister to favor the Bezeq telecom giant, and in exchange demanded favorable coverage from the popular Walla news site. Both Bezeq and Walla are owned by the same man, Shaul Elovitch.

Hefetz is thought to be an especially valuable witness in the case, as he is alleged to have carried the actual demands between the parties, and was the one seen to pressure Walla over its coverage, allegedly at the instruction of the Netanyahus.

The Netanyahus, who have been questioned before in the case, have denied all allegations against them in this and several other graft cases under investigation.