The state succeeded in keeping the Kafr Kasim resident
accused of murdering
Yishuv Shaarei Tikva security guard Lior Farhi in police custody with the three
men accused of being his accomplices at least until their next court hearing on
October 31.
The Central District Attorney’s Office filed an indictment
against the four on September 27.
The indictment stated, among other
things, that Arka’an Badir had intentionally run over Farhi with a car while
trying to escape capture for ferrying Palestinians illegally through the West
Bank security barrier, and that the other three defendants had tried to help
Badir cover up the crime after the fact.
The focus of Sunday’s hearing,
once it became apparent that the other three defendants had not marshalled
enough evidence to change their status, was Ala’a Sirsur’s attempt to be freed
from house arrest.
Sirsur’s attorney argued that he was hard working,
that he had not been involved in aiding Palestinians to breach the West Bank
barrier and that the state had exaggerated the extent of his actions in
obstructing the investigation.
The state responded that it had evidence
that he had spoken by telephone and inperson to Badir about how Sirsur would
help cover up Badir’s crime.
Sirsur’s plan was to claim that his car, the
car Badir drove in running over Farhi, had been stolen.
Sirsur even drove
to the police station to file a false report to lead the police away from
catching Farhi, only to be arrested upon his arrival at the
station.
According to the state, Sirsur’s plan was a premeditated and
well-planned coverup, which was far more grave than merely spontaneously lying
to police about some facts during an interrogation.
Sirsur’s grave
actions show that he cannot be released from house arrest without concerns of
further obstruction of the investigation, said the state. According to the
indictment, on September 9, Badir was waiting near the West Bank security
barrier to shuttle Palestinians who had illegally breached and crossed through
the fence to Kafr Kasim. Each passenger was due to pay Badir NIS 50 for ferrying
him from the border fence.
Farhi and other security personnel were
checking Palestinians’ documentation at the nearby checkpoint at the entrance
from the West Bank to Israel.
The indictment alleges that Farhi and some
of the personnel noticed Badir’s car waiting suspiciously next to a portion of
the fence, which they correctly deduced had been breached.
They
approached Badir, who had already loaded a number of Palestinians who were
crossing through the breach in the fence illegally into his car.
When
Badir saw the security forces approaching he starting to pick up speed with the
aim to evade capture, reaching a speech of 73 kilometers per hour.
Farhi
blocked his path of escape and pointed his gun at Badir’s vehicle to force him
to stop, the indictment said.
In response, Badir accelerated and
continued in Farhi’s direction, eventually hitting Farhi and sending him flying
64.5 meters.
Farhi was killed by the collision.
According to the
indictment, Badir fled in his car in a bid to escape until he crashed into a
road sign.
Afterward, Badir and his three Palestinian passengers escaped
on foot.