State's witness Filber confronts Bezeq CEO Handler
Bezeq CEO Handler, suspected of bribery in Case 4000, called in to be questioned under caution, taken aback when investigators set up confrontation with state's witness Shlomo Filber; 'We met at Eli Kamir's house,' Filber accuses, 'you knew about everything that happened'; 'Everything I did was for Bezeq, within confines of the law,' Handler retorts.
Police has called in Bezeq CEO Stella Handler—suspected of bribery—for questioning under caution over the weekend as part of the investigation into alleged corruption at the telecommunications giant, and surprised her by setting up a confrontation with state's witness Shlomo Filber.
"You knew about everything that was going on," the suspended Communications Ministry director-general accused Handler, and noted that he had held personal meetings with her set up by strategic adviser Eli Kamir, who was Bezeq's adviser at the time and who was also questioned in the investigation, also known as Case 4000.
"We met—me, you and Eli Kamir—on the Bezeq thing," Filber said, alleging that some of the meetings were held late at night in Kamir's private residence.
"I forwarded you emails about Bezeq and you replied," Filber exclaimed at Handler, adding that all of their communications were illegal and that Handler knew that was not the way the reform for corporate structural separation at Bezeq should be carried out.
Handler, who denied any wrongdoing throughout her days in custody as well as in her court appearances, continued maintaining that everything she did "was for Bezeq and within the confines of the law."
Handler was arrested two weeks ago, as part of a spate of arrests of senior government and Bezeq officials. Police and Israel Securities Authority suspect that Handler was party to moves by Bezeq majority shareholder Shaul Elovitch to receive benefits from the Communications Ministry, in return for which Bezeq subsidiary Walla! News was to cover Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family in a favorable light—as per Elovitch's instructions.
Filber signed a state's witness agreement two weeks ago after strident negotiations between his legal team and police. Eli Kamir, meanwhile, was released to house arrest.
Two of the affair's main suspects, Elovitch and former adviser to Prime Minister Netanyahu Nir Hefetz, were released to house arrest earlier Sunday.
Elovitch was released to house arrest for ten days and is forbidden from entering any Bezeq offices for 45 days. He will also not be allowed to leave Israel for half a year and has been forbidden from establishing any contact whatsoever with other people involved in the case for three months.
Hefetz was released to house arrests and placed under identical conditions. However, Hefetz is forbidden from entering government offices for 45 days, rather than Bezeq offices.
