Investigator Testifies About Illegal Destruction of Evidence in Netanyahu Trial

During the ongoing trial of former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem District Court, a dramatic testimony was given by Chief Inspector Arnon Harpaz, a lead investigator for state witness Nir Hefetz. Harpaz revealed an unusual incident during the investigation by the Lahav 433 unit, where another investigator, Malikin, physically destroyed a disk containing footage from an interrogation room. Harpaz admitted the act was improper and reported it immediately to his superiors, documenting the destruction in an official memo.

Defense attorneys accused the prosecution of illegal evidence destruction and complained that the memo detailing the incident was withheld from the defense files. Lawyer Amit Hadad emphasized the legal significance of the destroyed footage, even though the interrogation it recorded never took place, arguing it was crucial for the defendants’ defense. Harpaz confirmed in cross-examination that in his eight years at Lahav 433, he had never witnessed such deliberate destruction of evidence.

The testimony also touched on complex interrogation tactics used on Nir Hefetz, including a covert operation known as the "close associate exercise," whose details remain under a gag order. Harpaz acknowledged discussing this operation with investigator Yaniv Peleg but stated he had limited direct involvement and mostly knew about it from media reports. He reiterated his commitment to truthfulness under oath despite the sensitive nature of the case.

This revelation about evidence destruction has intensified scrutiny of the investigation process in the high-profile Case 4000, which centers on allegations of corruption involving Netanyahu and former Bezeq CEO Shaul Elovitch. The defense’s claims of procedural irregularities add to the trial’s complexity as it continues.