Report: Netanyahu, Yedioth publisher Mozes to be questioned again
According to Channel 2, police has recordings of two hour-long meetings between the prime minister and Yedioth publisher at the PMO in Jerusalem held shortly before and shortly after the Knesset dissolved in December 2014 ahead of the 2015 elections.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon Mozes are expected to be questioned again by police, Channel 2 reported on Monday.
According to the report, police has recordings of two meetings between Netanyahu and Mozes—each about an hour long—allegedly to discuss a deal that would see the prime minister receive more favorable coverage in Mozes's paper in return for weakening rival paper Yisrael Hayom.
The meetings were held at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, in the presence of Ari Harow—at the time Netanyahu's bureau chief.
According to Channel 2 journalist Guy Peleg, one meeting was held before the Knesset was dissolved on December 1, 2014 ahead of the 2015 elections and the other right after.
In addition, the report noted that the prime minister's first questioning dealt with suspicions he accepted illicit gifts from Hollywood billionaire Arnon Milchan and with his ties to Australian billionaire James Packer, particularly concerning trips in which Packer hosted the prime minister's son, Yair.
Police is expected to also interview employees at the Prime Minister's Residence who will be asked about the way the cigars and alcohol were brought to Netanyahu's official residence in Jerusalem and private residence in Caesarea.
During his second questioning, Netanyahu was reportedly asked only about his meetings with Mozes. The prime minister was presented with transcripts of the recordings and was asked to respond, according to Channel 2.
The Haaretz newspaper reported on Tuesday that Mozes claims it was Netanyahu who initiated the meetings. "Mozes insisted the prime minister was the one who asked to meet with him to discuss the matter" of the way Netanyahu is covered in Yedioth Ahronoth, according to Haaretz.
The paper's report further stated the police "have documentation of more than one meeting of negotiations between the two—documentation that spans over many hours."
The recordings were reportedly seized by police as part of a different investigation into former PMO bureau chief Harow, who is said to have recorded the meetings.
Channel 10 reported that a search of Arnon Milchan's office in Ramat Gan found receipts "documenting the purchase of cigars, champagne bottles and other illicit benefits."
Journalist Baruch Kra reported that "to the best of our knowledge, there were over NIS 400,000 (worth of items) in the receipts found in Milchan's office."
He said senior employees at the office were questioned.
Arnon Mozes is the publisher and owner of Yedioth Ahronoth and controls both Ynet and Ynetnews.
