State’s witness in Ashdod port corruption case targeted in drive-by shooting

Several bullets penetrated the driver’s side door and window of the car, but no one was hurt in the shooting.

By BEN HARTMAN
Port of Ashdod (photo credit: REUTERS)
Port of Ashdod
(photo credit: REUTERS)
A motorcyclist fired from point blank range at the state’s witness in the Ashdod Port corruption case, in front of hundreds of witnesses in the center of Kfar Saba on Tuesday morning.
Several bullets penetrated the driver’s side door and window of the car, but no one was hurt in the shooting, which happened while the witness was sitting in his car with his wife and seven-month-old baby.
The fact that the shooter did not manage to hit the witness at such close range has led to speculation that it may have been meant only to intimidate the witness, but not harm him.
The assailant managed to flee the scene of the crime and has not been apprehended.
Police are now looking for the shooter.
In comments to the press on Tuesday, Ashdod Port Union head Alon Hassan’s lawyer Benny Katz dismissed speculation that his client had anything whatsoever to do with the shooting.
Due to the sensitivity of the case, the investigation has been handed over to Lahav 433 – The National Crime Unit, who will have to examine the fact that the witness was left so vulnerable.
The case broke in May, when Hassan, the powerful union boss was arrested on suspicion of bribery, blackmail and of laundering millions of shekels.
A total of 15 suspects were arrested in late May in connection to the case, which involves allegations that Hassan and other associates conspired to help companies they were linked to access services at the port in exchange for bribes.
In June, he was at the center of another major police case, involving lawyer and media personality Ronal Fisher, who was arrested on suspicion of taking bribes from Hassan in exchange for handing over details of the investigations against him that he received from his police officer clients.