Submarine Affair breaks back into political calendar with a splash
Ganor himself was originally the key state's witness in the affair, providing incriminating information against many of the prime minister's top aides.
By YONAH JEREMY BOBPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands on stage with wife Sara at Likud's New Years Toast, September 26 2019(photo credit: SHARON REVIVO)
The state prosecution has revealed that it will be issuing an intent to indict announcement in Case 3000 in the coming weeks.The disclosure was revealed as a side note in a decision issued by the Lod District Court on Monday on whether a key witness and suspect in the Submarine Affair, Miki Ganor, may travel outside of the country.Police recommended in November 2018 that several of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s senior aides be indicted in Case 300 for a scheme to skim off the top of large deals in which Germany was selling Israel diesel submarines capable of launching nuclear weapons.Ganor was originally the key state’s witness in the affair, providing incriminating information against many of the prime minister’s top aides.However, he had a change of heart in March and tried to withdraw aspects of his testimony.Since then the court prohibited Ganor from leaving the country, and he is under of a variety of other restrictions.Ganor’s lawyers succeeded in getting a lower magistrate’s court to let him travel abroad in the near future, based on the understanding that the police had completed their probe.But the prosecution convinced the Lod District Court to reverse that decision, reasoning that Ganor might try to flee to escape a trial and imprisonment.To convince the court to extend the prohibition against Ganor leaving the country for at least a few months, the prosecution also told the court that the announcement of an intent to indict would be issued in the coming weeks.Once the announcement is made, Ganor and the other suspects will still be able to prevent a final indictment in pre-indictment hearings. But the announcement itself is expected to be enough to convince the court to block Ganor from traveling for an indefinite period.
The Justice Ministry confirmed that the announcement regarding Ganor was due in the coming weeks. Though such announcements almost always include all suspects, the ministry was not sure if the announcement would include all suspects or only Ganor, with a later announcement regarding the other suspects.
