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3 ex-Netanyahu aides may face charges for allegedly harassing witness in his trial
Jonatan Urich, Ofer Golan and Yisrael Einhorn to be charged, pending hearing, for allegedly sending van with loudspeakers to home of Shlomo Filber and blaring accusations of lying
Three former aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may face criminal charges on suspicion of intimidating a state witness in his corruption trial by blasting accusations he was lying outside his home with a loudspeaker system.
The State Attorney’s office announced Wednesday that it had informed the legal representatives of ex-Likud spokesman Jonatan Urich, former Netanyahu campaign manager Ofer Golan, and former Likud party official Yisrael Einhorn that they will face charges, pending a hearing. The move was approved by the attorney general.
The three are suspected of harassing state witness Shlomo Filber, a former Likud campaign manager and longtime confidant to party leader Netanyahu. Filber is now a key witness for the prosecution in what is dubbed Case 4000, the most serious in Netanyahu’s ongoing trial in three corruption cases.
The three aides, who worked for Likud’s campaign in 2019, are suspected of sending a van at the time to Filber’s home with loudspeakers, blasting allegations that he had lied about the case.
Recorded slogans played over the speakers addressed Filber by his nickname “Momo” and included “Momo, be a man, come out and tell the truth, Momo Filber, what did they do to you to make you lie against the Prime Minister?”
“What did they promise you Momo? The left is using you to bring down Likud. Momo, listen to what you yourself said before the police pressured you,” were also among the messages played.
A video of the incident was then circulated on social media, the statement said.
An investigation was opened in September 2019. Then, from October 2019 until January 2022, legal proceedings continued which reached the Supreme Court of Justice amid claims that police conducted an illegal search of Urich and Golan’s mobile phones.
The Supreme Court eventually permitted police to conduct another — this time legal — review of the devices.
The investigation continued at the Lahav 443 national crime squad until August 2022.
“Since then, discussions and consultations have been held at the prosecutor’s office, at various levels, regarding various issues arising from the file, at the end of which it was decided to consider the position of the suspects for criminal prosecution, subject to a hearing,” the statement said.
Filber is a key witness in Case 4000, in which the prime minister is accused of advancing regulatory decisions benefiting Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder in telecom giant Bezeq, in exchange for positive coverage from the Elovitch-owned Walla news site. Filber was then director-general of the Communications Ministry, which Netanyahu headed as minister during part of the period under scrutiny by prosecutors.
Filber was arrested and questioned over his involvement in the case. During the investigation, Filber turned state witness and gave testimony against Netanyahu, who at the time of the alleged crimes in 2014-2017 served as communications minister as well as prime minister.
However, when he appeared in court last year, Filber’s testimony was viewed as vastly different from the account he gave earlier. The prosecution at one point sought to declare Filber a hostile witness due to the discrepancies in his story regarding Netanyahu’s actions.
Filber has accused police interrogators of trying to manipulate him during their investigation.
Earlier this month, an external attorney was appointed to review whether Filber violated the terms of his state witness agreement.
Last year, State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman criticized the Likud party for paying for the legal representation of Urich and Golan.
In addition to Case 4000, in which Netanyahu has been charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust, he is also accused of the latter two offenses in two other cases against him.
Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing and claims to be the victim of a witch hunt involving the opposition, the media, the police and state prosecutors.
