MK David Bitan Denies All Bribery Charges After Lengthy Court Testimony

After nearly ten months and 39 sessions at the Lod District Court, MK David Bitan, chairman of the Knesset Economic Committee, concluded his testimony in his criminal trial. Bitan faces charges including bribery, fraud, breach of trust, and money laundering. Throughout his testimony, he denied all allegations, asserting he never received bribe money and claiming that state witnesses and others involved acted behind his back.

The indictment alleges Bitan received hundreds of thousands of shekels from businessmen and Likud activists in exchange for advancing their interests with government authorities. The prosecution contends some funds were disguised as primary election donations and laundered through an associate who later became a state witness. Bitan countered that the donations were legal and that he never personally received the money.

During cross-examination, Bitan addressed a recorded conversation mentioning VAT in relation to a primary election donation, explaining it as a colloquial term for a non-round sum rather than actual value-added tax. The prosecution presented recordings, documents, and testimonies from state witnesses and other defendants to support their bribery claims. They argued Bitan’s defense, that others acted without his knowledge, is inconsistent with the evidence.

Bitan maintained that his public service over the years involved handling numerous constituent requests within his official capacity and without illicit compensation. He accused state witnesses and others of misleading investigators for personal motives. With his testimony complete, the trial will now proceed to defense witnesses, expected to include public figures supporting Bitan’s version, followed by further testimonies from other defendants before closing arguments and verdict.