'Criminals in uniform' to be transferred to house arrest Wednesday
Lawyers for the officer and detectives accused of planting an explosive device at house of Nahariya mob boss will tell the court tomorrow if their clients are willing to accept the conditions of house arrest
The Haifa District Court will release the officer, three detectives and civilian accused in the "Criminals in Blue" affair on Wednesday to house arrest. According to Judge Ron Shapira's decision, lawyers for the defense will tell the court on Wednesday if their clients are ready to commit to the conditions of house arrest.
Following the hearing, the defendants will be released until the end of the trial. Each defendant will be required to wear an around-the-clock electronic tracking device which will report on his movements if he leaves the confines of his home. All defendants must thus report to the police at least 24 hours in advance if they desire to leave their homes to see their lawyers.
On every such occasion, the defendant will be accompanied by a friend or family member appointed to act as a "chaperone" for the court. Additionally, the defendants are forbidden from leaving the country and must hand over a deposit worth thousands of shekels to the court.
The court will also on Wednesday conduct a hearing regarding a request by Nahariya mob boss Michael Mor and his family to reveal the names of those involved in the incident. The request was first discussed and rejected 10 days ago, and the judge will announce tomorrow whether he will overrule it for a second time or accept the request.
The lawyers and families of the accused were surprised to hear of the decision, telling reporters that they learned of it from the media.
Police say they didn't intend to hurt anyone
The affair exploded on the 22nd of November, when the Haifa District Court issued subpoenas against the five accused and another detective to be called as a state's witness.
The detectives are accused of placing an explosive device under the vehicle of Nahariya underworld figure Michael Mor as well as on the window of a home owned by Mor in which his nephew resided in October 2006.
The bomb on the window exploded without causing injuries, and the bomb under the car was discovered before exploding and disarmed. The detectives claimed they were only attempting to threaten and scare Mor, not to hurt anyone.
