Defense attorneys for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bezeq shareholder Shaul Elovitch demanded Wednesday that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara respond to the panel of judges' proposal to consider dropping the bribery charge in Case 4000. The judges' panel has recommended dropping the charge, but the prosecution has not yet responded.
The demand was made public Wednesday morning by the legal teams of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Shaul Elovitch, co-defendants in Case 4000. The attorneys called on Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to formally respond to the panel of judges' recommendation to consider dropping the bribery charge against the two defendants.
The judges' panel first issued the recommendation in late June, and reaffirmed it in early July. The prosecution has not yet withdrawn the bribery charge, leading to public criticism from coalition lawmakers and legal commentators. The defense attorneys' demand seeks clarity on the Attorney General's position amid the ongoing trial.
The case, known as Case 4000 or the Bezeq-Walla affair, involves allegations that Netanyahu offered regulatory benefits to Bezeq owner Shaul Elovitch in exchange for favorable coverage on the Walla news site. The bribery charge has been the most serious count in the indictment.
2 developments
- StrongPanel judges in Case 4000: 'The bribery charge must be dropped,' attorney Kastel says
- StrongSenior prosecution source says judges' recommendation to drop bribery charge in Case 4000 'requires a recalculation'
- StrongLegal commentators: Prosecution refusal to drop bribery charge in Case 4000 would aim for a Supreme Court appeal
- DevelopingJudges in Netanyahu trial rule to drop bribery charge; commentator says Herzog wept
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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