Dep. attorney general mulls combining Netanyahu graft cases
Raz Nizri hints at possibility of joining various probes facing Netanyahu, saying 'Case 4000 projects on other cases;' he also says investigations' pace cannot keep up with media’s appetite.
Deputy Attorney General Raz Nizri, hinted Sunday at the possibility of incorporating into one case several separate probes involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying "everything depends on the circumstances, it is impossible to know."
Making his remarks during a speech at the 18th conference of the Israel Bar Association in Eilat, Nizri stressed that "news items regarding the investigations are released daily or weekly. We are aware of the need to make a quick decision.
"Currently, two cases that are in the hands of the Prosecutor for Taxes and Finance are expected to be transferred to the State Attorney's Office," he said. The deputy attorney general also added that "part of Case 4000 (the Bezeq-Walla affair) projects on other cases as well."
Aware of segments of the population who are eager to see a decision made in a hurried fashion, Nizri insisted that the appropriate amount of time would be taken on the matter.
"I can say that serious work has been done by all the relevant elements. I know that there are elements that are in a hurry, but we are unable to work according to the law of the streets, but rather according to the rules of evidence. We cannot satisfy the pace of the media,” he said.
Earlier, Ynet revealed that Nir Hefetz, former media adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, did not only provide for police information regarding cases 1000 (the gifts affair ), 2000 (the Netanyahu-Mozes affair) and 4000 (the Bezeq affair), but police investigators asked Hefetz for evidence on his knowledge on the events surrounding the placing of metal detectors on the Temple Mount and the diplomatic crisis with Jordan following the shooting of the security guard at the Israeli Embassy in Amman.
They also carried out additional investigations, and possibly involved other investigative bodies.
Hefetz claimed that the prime minister acted on these issues under the pressure of his son and his wife, contrary to the opinion of security officials.
The same claims were published three months ago after the signing of an agreement with the state witness. Then, after applying significant pressure on the man who was once a close confidant of the Netanyahu family, Hefetz explained to the investigators the decision-making process regarding security incidents.
"The decisions made at the Prime Minister's House are bizarre," Hefetz was quoted as saying. "The security echelons would make a decision, but then Yair would scream at him and Sarah would make a scene and he would give in."
After the statements by Hefetz were published, some argued that the details he raised were unrelated to a criminal matter, and therefore did not concern the police at all. However, it now turns out that events at the Prime Minister's Residence on Jerusalem's Balfour Street certainly were of major interest to the interrogators.
