Charges against Netanyahu associates dropped in submarine case

Israel’s state prosecutor dropped charges against close associates of Netanyahu in the so-called Submarine Affair, or Case 3000.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

As Israeli and international media focused on escalating tensions in Jerusalem and 200 rockets fired upon the holy city and Israel’s southern region in just 24 hours, a significant development in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal woes flew under the radar

On Monday, Israel’s state prosecutor dropped charges against close associates of Netanyahu in the so-called “Submarine Affair,” or Case 3000.

Prosecutors in Case 3000 charged various high-level naval and business figures with crimes related to a conspiracy to purchase German-made ThyssenKrupp submarines in exchange for kickbacks and bribes.

The investigation has lasted several years, and while he was never charged in the case, Netanyahu was questioned by investigators over his possible involvement in the matter.

Money laundering charges leveled at David Shimron, Netanyahu’s cousin who is also his personal attorney and close confidant, were dismissed.

Shimron’s attorneys, Amit Hadad and Noa Milstein, said in a statement: “We are happy and welcome the decision by the prosecution to accept our claims and to close also the last set of suspicions against Shimron. Today we know what we have known all along – that Shimron did not commit any offense.”

Charges of bribery, money laundering and tax crimes against former navy chief Eliezer Marom were also dismissed by prosecutors on Monday.

Marom’s attorney, Tzion Amir, said the decision to drop the charges vindicated his innocent client and marked “the end of Marom’s agony.”

Shimron and Marom were originally charged in November 2018. The prosecution has not publicly stated why the charges against Marom were dropped.

According to speculation in the Hebrew-language media, the prosecution apparently decided not to move forward after losing their star witness and primary evidence against the defendant. Miki Ganor, who allegedly acted as the middleman in the scheme, reneged on cooperating with the prosecution as a state witness. The case against Marom relied heavily on testimony from Ganor.