Ganor compiled evidence against sub. probe suspects
Preparing for the day the scandal broke, state witness in submarine affair Miki Ganor employed private investigations firm to assemble incriminating dossier on other suspects involved; evidence details how Ganor was allegedly paid €10 million for his part in affair, stalled on paying associates such as fmr. Navy chief, Netanyahu's attorney, and suffered 'threats, pressures, extortion' for cash handouts.
Ganor told police interrogators he felt immense pressures were exerted on him, saying, "I felt I was being extorted."
While the submarine probe, also known as Case 3,000, has been conducted mostly out of the public eye, materials Ganor provided police are gradually coming to light, with each piece of information provided by Ganor—from text message and recordings to emails—providing police investigators with new leads.
In the latest development, it emerged that Ganor was, in fact, preparing himself for the day the alleged crimes were discovered, and hired a well-known private investigations firm to collect information for him on the other suspects involved with procuring the submarines and sea vessels.
According to Ganor's testimony, at some point the other people involved requested to get their "due" after Ganor received 10 million euros from the Germans, as per their deal.
'Ganor prepared well for the moment it all broke open'
Ganor continued stalling for time and vacillated on divvying the funds, at which point he claimed he started receiving threats of extortion.
The pressure prompted Ganor to hire the investigations firm, to document his requests and "chronicle of pressures" he said were exerted on him by the other suspects in the case, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cousin and personal attorney David Shimron, former Navy commander Vice Admiral (res.) Eliezer Marom and former National Security Council deputy chief Avriel Bar-Yosef.
"It appears Ganor prepared well for the day it all broke wide open. He kept stalling on providing the returns for the other people involved, and despite not transferring the big money he received in return for the submarine project, he collected some very strong evidence against the people involved," said sources familiar with the investigation.
The testimony, on which police have placed significant value, has has thus far been supported by external corroboration. Investigators are now greaing up to commence an additional round of interrogations with each of the other people involved.
According to police sources, the prime minister himself will then be their list of people to question in the case, after his confidant and special envoy Yitzhak Molcho was also investigated.
The affair's investigators focused on Molcho's international activities performed during his appointment as Netanyahu's envoy, and consider him to be a public servant for all intents and purposes, despite the fact he had performed those duties without pay.
According to Ganor, Molcho—who has strong business ties to Shimron—leveraged his international stature to promote the submarine deal with German political figures. Police suspect this was Molcho's way of assisting Shimron, who represented Ganor in the deal.
Investigators presented Molcho with several events he'd attended overseas and asked for his comments. Molcho claimed his missions to Germany were solely on behalf of the state in accordance with Netanyahu's request. He added he had never worked to promote the submarine deal itself. He is not currently suspected of being directly compensated for his part.
