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Photo|: Motti Kimchi
MK Basel Ghattas
Photo|: Motti Kimchi

Police pinch man suspected of providing cellphones to Ghattas

Suspect is the brother of one of the terrorists believed to have received cellphones from MK Ghattas, who allegedly smuggled them to security prisoners in Israel; brother: 'claims have no basis.'

Police have arrested the brother of an imprisoned terrorist who is alleged to have received cellphones from MK Basel Ghattas (Joint List) during visits to his prison, Ynet has learned.

 

 

The brother, Assad Daka, is suspected of providing the MK with the phones, which he is then believed to have smuggled to security inmates, exploiting his MK immunity from body searches.

 

MK Basel Ghattas in court
MK Basel Ghattas in court

 

The Israel National Police Unit arrested the 51-year-old brother from the Arab town of Zemer, who was brought on Tuesday morning before the Rishon LeZion Magistrate’s Court as investigators sought the extension of his arrest.

 

Speaking to Ynet a few days ago, the suspect flatly denied that his brother, who is currently serving a prison sentence in Israel for terror activities, ever received any phones from the MK under investigation.

 

“This is incitement by way of claims which have no basis. My brother doesn’t call us since it is forbidden because he is a security prisoner,” he said. “It is true that Ghattas did visit him but he never gave him anything.”

 

Joint List MK Hanin Zoabi stands outside court in solidarity with Ghattas (Photo: Motti Kimchi)
Joint List MK Hanin Zoabi stands outside court in solidarity with Ghattas (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

 

Pictures presented to the police however, appear to show that Ghattas did, in fact, provide the prisoners he visited with phones.

 

During a search that was conducted after meetings took place between Ghattas and Palestinian security prisoners, 12 telephones were found in the possession of Walid Daka—one of the terrorists responsible for the kidnapping and murder of IDF soldier Moshe Tamam in 1984—and Basel Bazra, along with small letters containing encrypted messages which aroused suspicion that Ghattas had smuggled the phones to the prisoners.

 

Protest outside court against Ghattas's arrest (Photo: Motti Kimchi)
Protest outside court against Ghattas's arrest (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

 

Ghattas had his arrest extended on Monday by 24 hours, also at the Rishon LeZion Magistrate’s Court, despite the police requesting that he remain in remand for an additional four days.

 

Judge Menachem Mizrachi commented on his decision following the conclusion of Monday's court proceedings.

 

“It could be said that there is a significant development in the investigation. It is a difficult to decision to extend the arrest of an MK,” he said. “I will say that if it had been a different suspect I would have extended the arrest for many more days. When you are speaking about an MK, requests should be granted sparingly.”

 

Appearing before the judge on Friday, as police sought a first extension of his arrest, Ghattas he refused to divulge who provided him with the phones on the grounds that "he does not want to be a snitch."

 


פרסום ראשון: 12.27.16, 12:13
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