Israel extends detention for 2 suspects in Netanyahu case

JERUSALEM – An Israeli court has extended the arrests of a media tycoon and a former adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implicated in a corruption case involving Israel’s telecom giant.

A Tel Aviv judge ordered that Nir Hefetz, an ex-Netanyahu media aide, and Shaul Elovitch remain in custody until Monday.

The two are suspected in a case that involved the promotion of regulation worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Israel’s Bezeq telecom company, of which Elovitch is a major shareholder. In return, Bezeq’s popular news site, Walla, allegedly provided favourable coverage of Netanyahu and his family.

Separately, Hefetz is suspected of attempting to bribe a judge in exchange for dropping a corruption case against Netanyahu’s wife.

Another Netanyahu confidant, Shlomo Filber, who was arrested this week, has turned state’s witness.