German Submarine Affair: Fmr. security adviser released to house arrest
The Submarine Affair has engulfed top aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former top IDF officials now for months with major developments in recent weeks.
By YONAH JEREMY BOBUpdated: JULY 24, 2017 23:28The Dolphin-class submarine first entered service in 2000(photo credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)
Former deputy chief of the National Security Council Avriel Bar-Yosef was released to house arrest for a period of 14 days by the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court on Monday in the latest development in the submarine affair.Bar-Yosef was also barred from leaving the country for 180 days and his passport was confiscated by police. In addition, he had to post bail of NIS 200,000 and he was barred from communicating with other suspects in the case for 90 days.The submarine affair has engulfed top aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former top IDF officials now for months with major developments in recent weeks.Police term the affair Case 3000, which has focused on reports that Netanyahu’s personal attorney and relative, David Shimron, worked as an intermediary for Miki Ganor, the Israel representative of German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp, and now a crucial state’s witness.Shimron is suspected of pushing for Israel to buy submarines and other vessels valued at about $1.5 billion from the German firm over the objections of the defense establishment, including former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon.Ganor is suspected of bribing former Israel Navy chief Eliezer Marom to help ThyssenKrupp win an Israeli tender for the naval vessels.Meanwhile, reports indicated that Ganor will be laying out comprehensive details to the general incriminating information he has given police against Shimron, Bar Yosef, Marom, Shimron’s lawyer Ron Shemer and many other new, and as yet unannounced, suspects in the public service sector.Ganor’s deal to provide information against other suspects and testify on behalf of the prosecution includes a lenient jail sentence of only one year plus a NIS 10 million fine and some improved conditions to his current detention.There are also reports that Ganor has provided information about alleged criminal actions by Israeli officials, including Environmental Ministry Director-General Yisrael Danziger, regarding ThyssenKrupp trying to improperly intervene in a potential process to move Haifa Chemicals Corporation’s ammonia facility from Haifa’s port to the South.State Comptroller Joseph Shapira last week requested the prosecution investigate alleged criminal activities by Danziger and others regarding the ammonia facility.Netanyahu, who is not a suspect in the case, has denied any involvement or impropriety in the deal with ThyssenKrupp, and has said he did not know about Shimron’s activities regarding the issue.Bar-Yosef had once been nominated by Netanyahu to take the top job of chief of the NSC, but he had to step aside once he was embroiled in the submarine affair, leaving Netanyahu with no NSC chief for a full year.