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Dudu Topaz
Photo: Yaron Brener

State to add drug charges to Topaz indictment

Prosecution to add counts of possession, use of cocaine to aggravated assault, conspiracy case pending against TV entertainer. Indictments against four more of Topaz's accomplices in the works

The State Prosecutor's Office said Monday that it would be adding new counts to the charges against television entertainer Dudu Topaz – this time for the possession and use of dangerous narcotics.

 

The prosecution is basing the drug charges on the fact that for the past three years, Topaz allegedly made several cocaine buys from one of the other suspects in the case, Ophir Sasportas.

 

The 62-year-old entertainer was indicted last week at the Tel Aviv District Court for multiple counts of conspiracy to commit a crime, aggravated assault and obstruction of justice.

 

Topaz is accused of targeting top TV executives Avi Nir and Shira Margalit of Channel 2's Keshet and Reshet TV (respectively) and agent Boaz Ben Zion, as well as planning assaults on famed television figures Tzvika Hadar, Erez Tal and Avri Gilad, and targeting Amos Regev, editor in chief of the Israel Hayom newspaper.

 

Sasportas was arrested on suspicion of mediating between Topaz and some of the men hired by him to assault his targets.

 

The prosecution claims to have Sasportas' confession, according to which he approached a third party and asked they locate people who could assault Nir.

 

The State also alleges that Topaz wanted the people hired to attack Margalit to throw acid in her face, as well as assault Yedioth Ahronoth journalist Raanan Shaked, but Sasportas refused.

 

The prosecution also intends to file charges against Roman Aliyev, who is one of the two men suspected of attacking Ben Zion. Aliyev turned himself in to the police last week.

 

The State filed charges against three of Topaz's alleged accomplices – Daniel Zenko, Suleiman Hiadra and Ayman Zbedat earlier this month. Hiadra and Zbedat are the lead suspects in the assault on Shira Margalit and Zenko is suspected of being the middleman between them and Topaz.

 

The State Prosecutor's Office also plans to file charges against two other suspects in the case: Ibrahim Azamah, suspected of being yet another mediator and Muhammad Younis, who is suspected of being Aliyev's accomplice in the attach of Boaz Ben Zion.

 

Avi Cohen contributed to this report

 


פרסום ראשון: 06.29.09, 11:04
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