The testimony of businessman Arnon Milchan in Case 1000 enters its sixth day in Brighton, England. On Sunday, the billionaire continued to confirm what was requested by Netanyahu's lawyer, Amit Haddad.
Milchan confirmed that the gifts between him and the Netanyahu couple were mutual, even though in his main testimony last week he claimed the opposite. When Haddad asked to approve certain gifts he received, Milchan said that he did not remember them exactly, and that it would be better to ask his wife.
Netanyahu in court in Jerusalem. Listening to the testimony of Milchan from Brighton, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
"Do you want Mrs. Netanyahu to come out?"
Prosecutor Liat Ben-Ari at the start of the hearing: "We are preparing for a significant re-investigation."
Ben-Ari: "Milchan told us that he feels really uncomfortable when the prime minister's wife sits in Brighton and the prime minister sits in the Jerusalem District Court.
Haddad: "My friend distorts things. A witness cannot speak to a prosecutor in the middle of his testimony. This is a very cheap attempt..."Judge Rebecca Friedman Feldman: "
Sir be careful with his language. If the witness goes to the prosecution, what do you expect them to do?"
Milchan: "Keep in mind that I'm without a lawyer. My lawyer is representing someone else. I don't have a lawyer to whisper in my ear."
Haddad: "Do you want Mrs. Netanyahu to come out?"
Milchan: "No."
Milchan also confirmed that during the Netanyahus' visits to him, Sarah would give gifts to his children; And also because the price differences between the gifts are irrelevant, because they are gifts between friends. "It's like flowers," he claimed.
Haddad said: "It's not a competition over who gives more, it's a matter of caring."
Judge Friedman Feldman says cross-examination will end on Wednesday. The State Prosecutor's Office will re-investigate on Wednesday-Thursday.
Still friends
Haddad further explained: "Cigars and champagne are perishable gifts," to which Milchan replied: "I didn't think of it that way." During the discussion, Milchan clarified: "There has never been a case in which the prime minister or a minister said to me, 'Why didn't they bring us cigars or champagne?' When I brought it, it was all out of love." He added: "We are friends to this day, only today we are on forced hiatus because of the investigations."
Milchan on his way to testify in Brighton,
The cross-examination also concerned Netanyahu's alleged conflict of interest on behalf of the witness. The indictment states that while the prime minister maintained friendships with Milchan and received favors from him, Milchan shared with him the economic problems at Channel 10, and that he was considering acquiring the companies Keshet and Reshet and merging them.
According to the indictment, Netanyahu asked Shlomo Filber, director general of the Ministry of Communications and later a state witness, to help Milchan.
"I'm fed up"
In cross-examination yesterday, the businessman confirmed that this was before the idea of the acquisition was actually promoted. On the other hand, when Haddad claimed: "The initial stage did not raise the need for regulatory relief," Milchan said: "There was a clarification of what should be done if this happened."
Milchan also testified that he discussed it with Netanyahu, but "not as a friend, but as the communications minister," adding: "The companies had nothing to do with the fact that I approached the communications minister, who happened to be Bibi Netanyahu at the time, to inform him of my idea."
Today, as on other days, tense relations were recorded between Netanyahu's lawyers and the prosecution. After one of many provocations, Adv. Haddad said, "I'm fed up," and asked for a five-minute break. Judge Friedman-Feldman reprimanded the parties and decided to take a break while the defense and prosecution settled matters.
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