Israel Police filed an appeal on Thursday against the release from house arrest of Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, two of the three main suspects in the “Qatargate” case probing Qatari influences on figures close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Urich was released to house arrest on Tuesday, as the court gave police a chance to appeal the decision. Police argued that Urich remains a threat and should not be released, but Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court Judge Menahem Mizrahi wasn’t convinced.
A hearing on the appeal is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. today.
'Suspicion of grave security breaches'
“The two were physically arrested on March 31 on suspicion of grave security breaches and of fraud,” wrote the police in their appeal.
When police appealed on Tuesday, it credited a new cause of danger presented by Urich: a concrete suspicion of tampering with the investigation.
Israel Police sought on Tuesday to extend the house arrest of Yonatan Urich's for an additional 21 days - due to a suspicion that he tampered with the investigation in some capacity. Judge Menahem Mizrahi refused the request and ordered them released from house arrest.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this article.