Qatargate suspect set for release from house arrest after court rejects state’s appeal
Central District Court upholds lower court decision to release prime ministerial aide Jonatan Urich, dismissing argument that he may interfere in the ongoing investigation
The Central District Court ruled on Thursday that Jonatan Urich, a close aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is a key suspect in the so-called Qatargate scandal, is to be released from house arrest, upholding a lower court ruling from the day prior.
Police had appealed a ruling handed down by the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday to free Urich from house arrest on the condition that he is accompanied by a guarantor when outside his home until June 1.
In an appeal against the decision, a police representative argued to the Central District Court that the Qatargate suspect needed to remain under house arrest to prevent the possibility of his interfering in the investigation.
The appeal was rejected by presiding judge Amit Michles, who wrote in his decision that releasing Urich under strict supervision was “appropriate for the phase of the investigation” into him. He said this was sufficient to alleviate concerns about interference in the investigation.
Michles ordered a stay of execution on Urich’s release until 5 p.m. on Sunday to allow time for police to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. Channel 13 reported, however, that police did not intend to file another appeal.
At the same time, Michles in his ruling also referred critically to comments by Judge Menachem Mizrahi, who is presiding over the case at the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court.
Mizrahi said on Wednesday that there were “difficult legal questions” as to whether Urich was a civil servant while committing the alleged offenses detailed in the Qatargate probe.
Urich is suspected of bribery and breach of trust due to his role advising Netanyahu while, according to the allegations against him, doing paid work to improve Qatar’s image in Israel at the same time.
Only civil servants can be charged with such crimes, and Urich was technically working as an adviser to the Likud party and not as an employee of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Responding to Mizrahi, Michles opined that the question of Urich’s status as a public servant was irrelevant to the current phase of proceedings and advised him not to “enter into a legal analysis over one offense or the other.”
“At this time, it is sufficient that there is a reasonable suspicion that the respondent committed offenses,” he wrote.
Urich, together with Netanyahu’s former military affairs spokesperson Eli Feldstein, is suspected of multiple offenses tied to their alleged work for a pro-Qatar lobbying firm. They are suspected of contact with a foreign agent and breach of trust, due to what prosecutors believe was their work to improve Doha’s image as a hostage negotiation mediator while simultaneously working as advisers to Netanyahu.
The investigation has broadened and several former senior security officials are suspected of involvement in helping transfer money from Doha to Urich and Feldstein.
The Times of Israel Community.