Attorneys representing media advisor Tzachi Lieber told the Rishon LeZion Magistrates’ Court Thursday that David Sharan, whoonce served as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff and has become a suspect in the submarine affair, asked Lieber to bring him money from state witness Miki Ganor. Ganor, for his part, is suspected of acting on behalf of the German submarine company ThyssenKrupp in the scandal-ridden submarine deal between Israel and Germany.
Speaking on Lieber's behalf, his attorneys stated that "he (Sharan—ed) turned to him (Lieber) and said ‘go to Ganor and bring the money.'" Despite, this, his lawyers claimed that "being a central culprit is quite a different story," and that their client did not necessarily know of the direct communications between Sharan and Ganor, which facilitated Ganor's alleged tender win due to an illicit deal he had with Sharan.
Meanwhile, Judge Einat Ron extended his remand until next Tuesday, citing that the suspicion of wrongdoing has "significantly" increased.
The police has indicted Sharan over suspected obstruction of justice. Ganor, who has as mentioned already turned into a state witness, is suspected to have benefited from his relationship with Sharan, which guaranteed he would win government tenders. Judge Ron further supported these suspicions by stating that recently gathered evidence "significantly strengthens this suspicion."
Tzachi Lieber's father, Mordechai, also spoke in court. The elder Lieber, who was formerly chief of the Tel Aviv Police's central unit, came out against the police's decision to arrest his son.
Specifically, Mordechai Lieber criticized the decision to hold back on interrogating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or arresting Netanyahu's personal lawyer David Shimron, who has also been investigated on corruption suspicions in the submarine affair.
"There's no such thing as (the government) canceling a major tender without the prime minister knowing about it. It just doesn't happen."