AFP
One of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s closest confidants has agreed to testify against him in a graft probe, Israeli police said Wednesday, in a fresh threat to his long tenure.
Two new corruption investigations announced this week, hot on the heels of a police recommendation that Netanyahu face charges in two other cases, have fuelled growing speculation he could be forced to step down or call an early election.
Shlomo Filber, a Netanyahu ally for more than 20 years and former director general of the communications ministry, is expected to agree to turn state witness in exchange for avoiding jail, according to Israeli media reports confirmed by police.
A gag order prevented publishing any details of the deal.
Filber was arrested on Sunday in connection with allegations that Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of Israeli telecommunications giant Bezeq, gave Netanyahu positive coverage on his Walla! news site in exchange for policies benefiting the business.
Filber is suspected of mediating between Netanyahu and Elovitch and promoting regulatory changes worth millions to Bezeq.
Two senior Bezeq employees also detained on Sunday, CEO Stella Handler and Amikam Shorer, appeared Wednesday in court, where their remand was extended until February 26.
The prime minister himself has not been named as a suspect in the investigation.
In another case announced this week, two Netanyahu allies are alleged to have offered a judge promotion in exchange for dropping a case against the premier’s wife.
The two men have been identified as Nir Hefetz and Eli Kamir, both former media advisers for the Netanyahu family.
Their alleged offer was to Hila Gerstel, a judge involved in a graft probe into Sara
One of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s closest confidants has agreed to testify against him in a graft probe, Israeli police said Wednesday, in a fresh threat to his long tenure.
Two new corruption investigations announced this week, hot on the heels of a police recommendation that Netanyahu face charges in two other cases, have fuelled growing speculation he could be forced to step down or call an early election.
Shlomo Filber, a Netanyahu ally for more than 20 years and former director general of the communications ministry, is expected to agree to turn state witness in exchange for avoiding jail, according to Israeli media reports confirmed by police.
A gag order prevented publishing any details of the deal.
Filber was arrested on Sunday in connection with allegations that Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of Israeli telecommunications giant Bezeq, gave Netanyahu positive coverage on his Walla! news site in exchange for policies benefiting the business.
Filber is suspected of mediating between Netanyahu and Elovitch and promoting regulatory changes worth millions to Bezeq.
Two senior Bezeq employees also detained on Sunday, CEO Stella Handler and Amikam Shorer, appeared Wednesday in court, where their remand was extended until February 26.
The prime minister himself has not been named as a suspect in the investigation.
In another case announced this week, two Netanyahu allies are alleged to have offered a judge promotion in exchange for dropping a case against the premier’s wife.
The two men have been identified as Nir Hefetz and Eli Kamir, both former media advisers for the Netanyahu family.
Their alleged offer was to Hila Gerstel, a judge involved in a graft probe into Sara
Netanyahu over alleged misuse of public funds.
Additionally last week police said there were grounds to indict the prime minister himself in two other cases for bribery, fraud and breach of public trust.
Netanyahu, 68, has rejected all the allegations, and released a new video on his Facebook page late Tuesday strongly denying any wrongdoing.
In an address to American Jewish leaders in Jerusalem late on Wednesday, an upbeat Netanyahu ignored his legal woes, expounding instead on Israel’s success in diplomacy and technology while reiterating his position on the danger Iran posed to the Jewish state.
