In what appears to be a major development in the ongoing corruption trial against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the State Attorney's Office has recently concluded that one of the state's witnesses has breached the terms of his deal with the state.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
According to one legal opinion by a state prosecutor, state's witness Shlomo Filber – who served under Netanyahu as Communications Ministry director general – did not live up to what he was supposed to say under his immunity deal when he took the stand in the trial against Netanyahu. Immediately after he finished his testimony, the state asked that he be declared a hostile witness, but this was denied. However, the fate of his status as a state's witness and the various protections are now in the hands of the State Attorney's Office.
Video: Shlomo Filber testifies in court / Yoni Rikner
The surprising testimony led to deliberations within the State's Attorney's Office on the proper course of action, and whether to continue giving Filber the immunity he enjoys under the state's witness agreement. It now emerges that following these discussions, most of those involved in the case at the State Attorney's Office support prosecuting Filber for his alleged accessory to the offenses mentioned in Netanyahu's indictment. However, a final decision has not been reached yet.
Filber's testimony, particularly regarding Netanyahu's involvement in the "Bezeq affair" in which Netanyahu has been accused of giving regulatory benefits worth hundreds of millions of shekels in exchange for positive press, failed to live up to the prosecutors' expectations and was deemed contradictory to his previous statements – during his police questioning – that led to his signing of state's witness agreement, making the state's indictment that much harder to culminate with a conviction.
In the state agreement, Filber agreed that if he breached any obligations or made false statements, the state could release itself from the agreement and pursue legal action against him.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
