Court remands Topaz for five more days

Police submit prosecutor's affidavit saying there's sufficient evidence to indict entertainer for attacks.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
dudu topaz police car 248 88 (photo credit: Channel 2)
dudu topaz police car 248 88
(photo credit: Channel 2)
Entertainer Dudu Topaz - under arrest for allegedly ordering attacks on two media executives and an actors' agent - was remanded for a further five days in custody along with three other suspects in a hearing at the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court on Sunday morning. In addition, police submitted to the court a prosecutor's affidavit, according to which there is sufficient evidence to indict the entertainer on charges of grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to commit a crime for allegedly ordering a team of goons to assault Shira Margalit, deputy director-general of the Reshet television network, Avi Nir, director-general of the Keshet network, and actors' agent Boaz Ben-Zion. The affidavit also included the three other suspects - Saliman Hiyadra and Ayman Zabidat, who allegedly attacked Margalit, and Daniel Zanko, Topaz's neighbor suspected of acting as the go-between for the attacks on Margalit and Ben-Zion. The remand extension request included police findings of how Topaz allegedly sent a team of goons via Ophir Sasportas to attack Nir in November, to assault Ben Zion with Zanko's help in January and, how in May, again with Zanko as a go-between, he sent Hiyadra and Zabidat to attack Margalit. It also accused Topaz and Zanko of planning to send Hiyadra and Zabidat to attack others, including a top journalist. Sasportas was arrested last week and his investigation is at its initial stages. Police are still looking for the perpetrators of the attacks on Nir and Ben-Zion, and are checking suspicions that Topaz also ordered attacks on television show presenters Tzvika Hadar, Erez Tal and Avri Gilad, as well as on his ex-wife Roni Chen and producer Yoav Gross. Topaz wasn't present at Sunday's hearing since he suffered from chest pains overnight Saturday and had to be evacuated to Wolfson Hospital in Holon, where he underwent several tests.