Netanyahu Associate Flips, Agrees To Testify In Corruption Case
by Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge.com
Thu, 02/22/2018
In a bombshell development, the former head of Israel’s Communications Ministry has agreed to turn state’s witness in one of several ongoing corruption investigations against Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, local media reports.
Schlomo Filber – appointed by Netanyahu to head the Communications Ministry, finalized the agreement to testify against his former boss in a Tuesday night agreement – making him the first member of the Prime Minister’s inner circle to testify against the Israeli leader.
Filber was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of bribery, fraud, breach of trust and obstruction of justice in connection with an investigation into ties between Israel’s largest telecom company, Bezeq, and senior government officials. Filber is suspected of granting financial and other benefits to Shaul Elovich, who owns a controlling interest in Bezeq, in exchange for favorable coverage towards Mr. Netanyahu and his wife, Sara on the Walla news website.
As part of the agreement made late Tuesday night, Filber offered police a detailed account of everything he knows about Netanyahu’s part in the so-called Case 4000, as well as others involved in the affair. According to the deal, Filber will not receive jail time.
Filber’s testimony is likely to establish the nature of the compensation given by the prime minister for the slanted coverage he received on Walla. -Haretz
Bibi and Sara Netanyahu have been embroiled in several ongoing corruption investigations, with some of the Prime Minister’s critics claiming he is now a political corpse.
Netanyahu ousted the former Director of the Communications Ministry, General Avi Berger – replaceing him with Filber, who had been a close confidant for years. On his first day in office, Filber met with Elovich where the two were said to have reached a mutual understanding over the relationship between Bezeq and the Netanyahu administration. After the matter was investigated by the State Comptroller, Filber was considered a de-facto agent of Bezeq within the ministry.
While under investigation by the Securities Authority in August of last year, Filber said he wouldn’t testify against Netanyahu – and told Channel 2 News that the Prime Minister had “never talked to him” about discussing positive news coverage with Bezeq. “The subject never came up in our conversations.”
Investigators subsequently recommended Filber for prosecution. As part of his deal to turn state’s witness, he is likely to testify that he was “simply following orders” from his old pal Bibi.
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