Posted on 11/16/21
| News Source: i24
Netanyahu has been charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate indictments
Former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to court for his graft trial Tuesday, but judges granted a defense request to postpone highly anticipated testimony from his former spin doctor.
Netanyahu, now opposition leader in parliament after he was ousted by a broad coalition of rivals in June, arrived at the Jerusalem court house without the large security contingent and crowds of rival protesters that were on hand when he appeared as premier.
He has been charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate indictments that collectively accuse him of accepting improper gifts and illegally trading regulatory favor with media moguls in exchange for positive coverage.
The testimony of his former spokesman Nir Hefetz had been expected to shed light on the ex-premier's dealings with the Bezeq telecommunications group.
In the Bezeq case, considered the most serious, Netanyahu is accused of offering regulatory benefits that could have been worth millions to the company in return for politically advantageous coverage on the group's Walla news site.