Netanyahu Trial Drama: Ex-Police Official Admits Secret Meeting with Journalist

A dramatic development unfolded Monday in the corruption trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as a former senior police official, Eran Kamin, admitted for the first time to initiating a meeting with journalist Ben Caspit. Kamin, who previously served as acting head of the National Fraud Unit (Yaha), stated he met Caspit to gather intelligence related to the Netanyahu family. He then instructed his subordinates to take an explicit statement from Caspit.

Crucially, Kamin acknowledged that these actions were taken without the required approval from the Attorney General's office. He claimed, however, that such approval was only necessary when the prime minister was being investigated as a suspect, not for preliminary intelligence gathering concerning him.

The revelation occurred during testimony in the Jerusalem District Court, where Kamin was questioned about his interactions with Caspit. The defense team seized on this admission, highlighting it as a significant procedural irregularity. The prosecution, meanwhile, sought to downplay the significance, emphasizing that Kamin's actions were not part of the formal investigation into Netanyahu.

Netanyahu is on trial for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate cases. The trial has been ongoing for several years, with numerous witnesses testifying. This latest development adds another layer of complexity to the proceedings, as the defense seeks to undermine the credibility of the investigation's methods.