Coalition Chairman ‘Not Worried’ About Submarine Probe

YERUSHALAYIM
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (L) with coalition chairman MK David Bitan,during a Likud party meeting at the Knesset last week. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

On the same day that Israeli news outlets were reporting that businessman Miki Ganor might become state’s witness in the investigation into corruption in submarine procurements, coalition leader and Likud MK David Bitan said that the development was not cause for concern.

“I am not worried. When the interrogation is looking for a state witness, it means [they] had nothing earlier,” he said, according to media reports.

Ganor, currently in police custody, is suspected of bribing former OC Navy V.-Adm. (res.) Eliezer Marom to secure his endorsement of a 1.2 billion Euro deal for Ganor’s company.

Channel 10 quoted sources close to Netanyahu who say the prime minister has never had any connection with Ganor and is therefore not anxious about testimony that he might give against him.

Bitan reiterated that even if indicted in the submarine affair, Netanyahu will not resign.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s Likud party is planning to retaliate with its own demonstrations against groups demanding his ouster because of the corruption allegations, The Jerusalem Post reported.

A demonstration urging Netanyahu’s indictment was held outside the Petah Tikva home of Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit on Motzei Shabbos. Newly elected Labor party chairman Avi Gabbay was in attendance for the first time.

The Likud criticized Gabbay for participating in a protest against the attorney-general and law enforcement officials. They accused him of being corrupt because he took a position as an executive for Bezeq after serving in the Finance Ministry where he had been involved in issues involving the communications giant.

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