Policeman arrested on suspicion of selling bullets

Suspect says 80 bullets he allegedly stole were not used for profit, tells court he asked police to take him to hospital after suffering heart condition.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Prison jail generic (photo credit: Courtesy)
Prison jail generic
(photo credit: Courtesy)
A veteran policeman was arrested on Monday morning on suspicion of stealing bullets from shooting ranges and selling them for profit, the Justice Ministry's Police Investigations Department said on Tuesday.
The suspect, named as Abd al-Jafar Sa'adi, allegedly stole 80 bullets on several occasions, PID representative Noa Limor told the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court during a remand hearing.
Sa'adi's attorney, Ariel Atari, said the money Sa'adi allegedly received for the bullets was an innocent loan unconnected with the bullets.
Limor told the court the policeman repeatedly asked to be taken to hospital by ambulance "and did not cooperate" during questioning on Monday.
Atari said his client suffered from a heart condition and underwent 2 catheterization operations.
Limor said doctors who examined Sa'adi in the hospital found him to be well and sent him back to custody.
"He admitted to stealing the bullets from shooting ranges," Limor added.
"[But] searches of his home found nothing," countered Atari.
"This is an officer who served in the police for 27 years," he added.
Judge Anat Zinger said the suspicions against Sa'adi were, based on the evidence she saw, "reasonable," and dismissed the claim that the funds he received were a loan.
The court extended Sa'adi's custody by three days.