Radio host Yaion Magal of 103fm said this morning (Tuesday) that if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu loses the election in two weeks and steps down, the trial will collapse. "If Netanyahu, chas v'shalom, loses the election and retires, there will unequivocally be an acquittal, and there will be a defence of justice. There is no bribery," Magal said.
His remarks came as former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit completed his second day of testimony in Netanyahu's trial last night.
Defence attorney Amit Hadad presented protocols from two meetings in court: one in which Mandelblit approved the interrogation of Shaul and Iris Elovitch on suspicion of bribing the prime minister, and another in which he approved placing Netanyahu himself under caution for questioning.
Hadad argued that this was the formal approval for the investigation of the prime minister. But Mandelblit clarified that from the quotes about Netanyahu's interrogation, it is clear this was not the first discussion of suspicions against Netanyahu, a preliminary examination process had preceded it, and materials on the matter had already been presented. He also stressed that it was important to him to formulate the caution given to Netanyahu. Hadad asked whether the caution included suspicion of bribery, and Mandelblit replied that to the best of his recollection, a vaguer formulation was used: "offences of breach of trust".
