Oliver Pitosi, Flash 90
The strategy that led the prosecution this week during the hearings in the Netanyahu trial is to consolidate the achievements that the prosecution has made so far in case 1000. As you may remember, the prosecution began by bringing case 4000 witnesses and after the testimony of the first group of witnesses was finished – it was decided to bring the case 1000 witnesses to the witness stand.
The Adi Bag 1000 group of witnesses started with Hadas Klein, the personal assistant of billionaires Arnon Milchan and James Packer, and continued with the two’s driver Yonatan Hasson and Packer’s house mother Shani Kosaks. These three witnesses, led by Klein, were intended to substantiate the gifts allegedly given to the Netanyahu family. Klein as the executor of the billionaires, Hasson as the bearer of the gifts and Kussaks as the one who managed the Packer House which she claims was used by the Netanyahu family.
Put aside what you think of the 1000 bag so far. The prosecution believes that it was able to establish achievements with the testimonies of Klein, Hasson and Kosaks. Peripheral prosecution witnesses are now taking the witness stand. The chef of the billionaires, Milchan’s accountant and businessmen who sold the goods that allegedly came to the Netanyahu family. These witnesses are meant to strengthen the versions of the witnesses. Invoices were mainly submitted through these witnesses, and testimony was given about Milchan’s expenses.
Attorney Keren Tzviran took the reins of the prosecution into her hands this week (Yonatan Zindel, Flash 90)
Milchan is involved in every financial expenditure
According to the indictment, Netanyahu was given cigars and champagne over the years, as favors, in the amount of about 670 thousand NIS. To the police, Klein handed over binders with Milchan’s invoices and financial reports. Sarah Shochat, Milchan’s account manager, is the who provided the binders to Klein.
In her main testimony, Shohat told attorney Karen Tzviran from the prosecutor’s office that she has been dealing with Milchan’s accounts since 2014. According to her, even though Milchan is a billionaire, he is “involved from small to large expenses. Milchan’s approval is given in writing, and if you don’t get it in writing, then by phone about the payments from his private accounts.” Shochat added: “I checked the reports on the expenses of champagne and cigars.”
In the cross-examination conducted by defense attorney Noa Milstein, Shohat said that Hadas Klein did not say that she needed the binders with the invoices and reports for a police investigation, but because Arron Milchan was interested in them.
When Milstein asked why there was no detail of the tens of thousands of shekels withdrawn in cash by Klein and Hasson from Milchan’s account, Shohat said: “There is no receipt for each cash expenditure, but I know that such and such were withdrawn on a certain day in retrospect. Perhaps Hadas is concentrating what does not arrive To me, I assume there are things that Hadas did not detail for reasons of discretion.”
Attorney Noa Milstein. This week led Netanyahu’s defense in case 1000 (Yonatan Zindel/Flash 90)
Regular meals at Beit Packer and… where are the invoices for cigars for one hundred thousand NIS per year?
Among the witnesses were Dov Feintoch, a liquor importer from Herzliya, and Yaakov Gershoni, owner of a business selling cigars called “The Cabinet”. The two testified about the purchase of the goods on the huge scale. According to Gershoni, in his estimation, Klein purchased cigars to the tune of a whopping NIS 100,000 per year – but he does not have receipts for the cigars because they were destroyed over the years.
The chef of the billionaires, Limor Daykovsky, also took to the witness stand and testified about the meals she cooked for the Netanyahu family and that she saw some of the alleged gifts. According to her, when Packer was in Israel, she cooked for the Netanyahu couple on a regular basis.
In the cross-examination, Daykovsky said that the late president, Shimon Peres, also came to meals at Beit Packer several times. In addition, she said that before the meals Sara Netanyahu contacted her through Hadas Klein. Daykovsky stated that she did not speak to Benjamin Netanyahu himself directly.
The evidence is technical and intended to strengthen the achievements of the prosecution
These testimonies are mostly completely technical, but are intended to thicken the position of the attorney’s office regarding the scope of the Netanyahu family’s use of Beit Packer and to substantiate the claims regarding the receipt of favors in the amount of hundreds of thousands of shekels.
As mentioned, the prosecutor’s office believes that they have so far succeeded in establishing a good evidentiary foundation in case 1000. Those who will decide whether this is the case are the judges. The purpose of the prosecution is that when they come to decide, the judges will also consider these technical testimonies which can help to one degree or another to the testimonies of Klein, Hasson and Kosaks.
So what are the conclusions? depends on you It could be that Netanyahu is on his way to conviction – or that the case has collapsed altogether. But if you want to understand a real picture of the situation, you should continue to follow every week, without prejudice, what is happening in the Jerusalem debate hall.
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