'Rating king' speaks to media for first time after confessing to ordering attacks on media executives.
By JPOST.COM STAFFdudu topaz 248 88(photo credit: Channel 10)
For the first time since he was arrested in connection with attacks on media executives, actor and entertainer Dudu Topaz spoke to the press on Wednesday afternoon, telling Channel 2, "I have no idea what happened to me, what craziness surrounds me."
"I am at one with the fact that I told the truth, but I hate myself for the situation I'm in now," he added.
Asked by Channel 2 if he had "also had those thoughts when he was planning [the attacks]," Topaz responded, "Good question, I won't answer it."
When further questioned, he said, "No, enough my friend. What I have to say, I'll say to the police, or in court. I've said enough already."
Earlier Wednesday, Topaz's lawyer, Tzion Amir, told Army Radio that the actor was "at one of the lowest points of his life. "His health condition," Amir said, "is a factor that the court will have to discuss."
"Dudu's actions are problematic and there's no arguing about that," Amir said, adding that his line of defense had not yet been formulated. "My line of defense will not necessarily claim temporary insanity," he said. "We will receive the material collected by the prosecution's investigators and we'll see. We need to take into account that Dudu is contrite and regrets his actions. His health condition is very serious but this will be examined by the court."
Asked whether Topaz's confession of guilt was motivated by rational reasoning, Amir said, "Dudu's conduct while making his decision was free of any manipulative considerations. There's no manipulation, give him credit for that. My talk with him was a one-on-one meeting. It was hard; the meeting for Dudu was very difficult."
Topaz confessed on Tuesday to hiring men to assault media executives who rejected his ideas for television programs.
News of the confession, said to have taken place during a police interrogation, came shortly before police had planned to confront Topaz with key suspect Daniel Zanko, Topaz's neighbor.
Police suspect Zanko put Topaz in touch with two former bouncers, who were then allegedly paid tens of thousands of shekels by the entertainer to carry out the attacks. Police say Zanko initially incriminated Topaz after he was arrested on Sunday, but then retracted his statement the following day. Zanko's lawyer said the information was forcefully extracted by police interrogators.
The face-off between Topaz and Zanko did not go ahead on Tuesday, and the police interrogation of Topaz ended a few hours after it began.
Topaz then underwent a medical checkup at the Abu Kabir prison facility where he is being held, in what police have described as a routine procedure.
Shira Margalit, deputy director-general of the Reshet television network, Avi Nir, director-general of the Keshet network, and actor's agent Boaz Zion have all been the victims of previously unexplained attacks by groups of men. Police also believe Topaz planned on attacking Amos Regev, editor of the Yisrael Hayom newspaper, who turned down Topaz's idea for a column.
Yaakov Lappin contributed to this report
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