Police to grill Netanyahu next week over new evidence of graft – report
In tenth interrogation session, investigators said likely to confront PM with testimony from state witnesses Nir Hefetz and Shlomo Filber
Police investigators are expected to question Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the tenth time on Tuesday next week, confronting him for the first time with evidence from two former close associates who have turned state’s witness, Hadashot News reported Monday.
The state’s witnesses are Nir Hefetz, a former director of the Prime Minister’s Office and Shlomo Filber, former director of the Communications Ministry.
Hefetz is believed to have provided testimony in all three of the cases in which Netanyahu is a suspect.
In Case 1000, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are suspected of receiving illicit gifts amounting to some NIS 1 million ($282,000) worth of lavish gifts from the Israeli-born Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian resort owner James Packer, allegedly in return for certain benefits.
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.
The state prosecution is currently considering whether to indict the prime minister in cases 1000 and 2000, after police in February recommended putting him on trial in both on charges of bribe taking.
Case 4000 involves suspicions that Netanyahu, who served as communications minister for several years over his past two terms as premier, advanced regulatory decisions benefiting Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of Israel’s largest telecommunications firm, Bezeq, in exchange for flattering coverage of the Netanyahus from the Elovitch-owned Walla news site.
Filber signed a deal in February to turn state’s witness and possibly incriminate the prime minister in Case 4000.
Netanyahu and his family have denied any wrongdoing in all of the cases.
Last month, police apparently surprised Netanyahu by making him believe that he would be questioned about Case 4000 and instead focusing on a corruption investigation surrounding the purchase of submarines and naval vessels from a German shipbuilder, known as Case 3000.
It was the first time he had been confronted over the allegations in which several of his key confidants are implicated.
Netanyahu has never been named as a suspect in Case 3000.
Raoul Wootliff contributed to this report.
