UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan testified during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s corruption trial at the Jerusalem District Court on Monday that he wasn’t aware of approval for the 2014 sale of the Yad2 second-hand website being expedited due to pressure by then-Walla CEO Ilan Yeshua.
Former communications minister Erdan took the stand for the second day in a row to testify on Case 4000, in which Netanyahu is accused of facilitating regulatory changes to benefit Bezeq owner Shaul Elovitch in exchange for favorable coverage on Walla.
One of the prosecution’s allegations against Netanyahu is that the sale of Yad2, which was then owned by Elovitch through Walla, was sped up through connections with the prime minister.
“The conclusion of the investigation shows that Elovitch needed people in the Prime Minister’s Office to advance your signature to approve the sale,” the prosecution told Erdan.
Elovitch’s attorney decried the claims as lies and asked Erdan if he had been asked to speed up the deal’s approval.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) speaks with Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan (L), Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev and Transportation Minister Israel Katz (R) seen during a Plenary Hall session for the vote on a bill to dissolve parliament, at the Knesset. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)“I don’t remember a question about the pace or acceleration,” said Erdan. “There were only technical procedures because two signatures were needed.”
Erdan said that he wasn’t aware of pressure from Yeshua to speed up the process, and the Elovitch team claimed that internal correspondence showed that communications ministry personnel were those seeking to expedite matters.
Elovitch purchased Yad2 in 2010 for around NIS 156 million and turned the website around for NIS 800 million, according to Calcalist.
What did Erdan say the day before?
On Monday, Erdan testified on his telecommunications reforms, and the prosecution’s allegations that Netanyahu had impeded them to help Bezeq.
The telecommunications reforms would reduce Bezeq’s monopoly on the market, and create more competition, and better prices and services, Erdan explained. The 2014 reforms required Bezeq to allow the use of cable and internet line ducts built during its time as a state company.
Some of these reforms were delayed when Netanyahu loyalist Shlomo Filber served as director of the communications ministry, and the prime minister as communications minister. The reforms were eventually implemented.
Erdan testified on Monday that he wasn’t aware of a connection between his removal from the office due to Elovitch’s complaints about his reforms.
While Elovitch had complained about the reforms and warned of connections in the government, Erdan said that he didn’t take it seriously. He also said that he didn’t speak much about Bezeq’s complaints to Netanyahu, and received no instructions from him regarding Elovitch.
Erdan’s testimony is set to end on Tuesday, and former Netanyahu chief of staff Ari Harow is set to continue his testimony on Wednesday.
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