Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and his wife Sara. (photo credit: REUTERS)
Police arrived at the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem to question Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the 10th time on Tuesday, after state witness Nir Hefetz, former spokesman for the Netanyahu family, provided new information in Case 4000, also known as the “Bezeq Affair.”
Case 4000 refers to a corruption investigation looking into the relationship between Netanyahu and Bezeq controlling shareholder Shaul Elovitch, who also owns the Walla news site. During Tuesday’s questionnaire investigators are expected to present Netanyahu with the evidence provided by Hefetz.
PM Netanyahu reacts to claims against him in Case 4000, February 2018.(Facebook/
Police suspect Netanyahu acted to benefit Bezeq in return for favorable coverage on the news site. Police also suspect that Sara Netanyahu was in touch with Elovitch’s wife, Iris, and through her acted to receive favorable coverage in Walla.
Channel 2 News reported last month that Hefetz testified to the police that he “spoke to Elovitch six to seven times a day” when he served as Netanyahu’s adviser. He also provided evidence that both Netanyahu and Elovitch were aware of an illicit quid pro quo deal between them.
Moreover, Hefetz related that during a visit to Manhattan by the Netanyahu family, wealthy Jews gave Sara Netanyahu credit cards with which to buy herself gifts.
The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement: “These are total lies regarding the Netanyahu- Elovitch relationship.
Also the false and malicious claim that the prime minister and his wife used friends’ credit cards is false. This never happened.”
Hefetz also provided new material in Case 1000 and Case 2000.
Case 1000 relates to gifts given by billionaires Arnon Milchan and James Packer to the Netanyahus, including expensive cigars, champagne and other gifts worth a total of some NIS 1 million over several years.
Case 2000 probes an alleged arrangement between Netanyahu and Yediot Aharonot publisher Arnon Mozes to weaken his competitor Israel Hayom in exchange for better coverage of him in Mozes’s paper.
Netanyahu is expected to be questioned another three to four times regarded the three investigations.
Udi Shaham contributed to this report.
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