Netanyahu guilty of corruption, says ex-Israeli police interrogator

JERUSALEM

A former Israeli police interrogator who led the corruption probe against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is convinced that the premier is guilty.

Eli Assayag, a retired police brigadier general, oversaw the investigation into accusations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust against Netanyahu from mid-2018 until its conclusion in early 2019. He retired from the force in March 2021 after 36 years of service.

“I retired at age 58 after 36 years in the police. I wasn’t shown the door, but I realized I wouldn’t be promoted, maybe because I handled these sensitive cases,” Assayag told Haaretz newspaper on Wednesday.

While declining to detail his questioning of Netanyahu due to his potential role as a witness in his trial, Assayag said the prime minister sometimes “got angry and lost his cool” during interrogation.

He described the probe as one of the most efficient and professional in his career.

“In under nine months we completed the investigation and passed the file on to the State Prosecutor’s Office,” he said, calling it “the fastest investigation ever in a case of white-collar crime.”

When asked if he believed Netanyahu was guilty, Assayag affirmed: “If I weren’t convinced, I wouldn’t have recommended (an indictment).”

In November 2019, then-Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit filed formal charges against Netanyahu, accusing him of corruption in three cases.

Netanyahu is set to testify before the Tel Aviv District Court on Tuesday to defend himself against his corruption charges.

Netanyahu's trial began in 2020 at the Jerusalem District Court. He, however, continues to deny any wrongdoing.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul