Tel Aviv District Court president Dan Arbel today released for publication the news that Nahum Manbar, sponsor of Hapoel Jerusalem basketball team, is under arrest in Israel on suspicion of State security offences. Manbar, who has been detained 21 days, was remanded in custody for a further 9 days, up to the 30 day legal maximum.
Arbel’s decision, which was released for publication, is that the material presented to him by the prosecution shows that the allegations are not of a general nature, but relate to matters which are "very very clear, which the investigation team seeks to get to the bottom of."
Arbel stated that the investigation is extremely complicated, not only covering Israeli territory but extending to other parts of the world as well. It includes vast quantities of documents, and various witnesses in various places. All these factors, Arbel said, mean considerable effort on the part of the investigators, and there is no doubt that such a complicated investigation cannot be completed in a short time.
Arbel’s decision to allow publication was given following an application to remove privilege submitted by several media and newspapers: "Globes", through Adv. Yoram Mushkat; "Ha’aretz" and Yediot Aharonot" through Adv. Mibi Mozar; Moshe Shlonsky, commander of Galei Tzahal (Army Radio); Dorit Gabai of "Ma’ariv" through Adv. Dolav; and Yossi Ein-Dor, of Channel 2 News.
Mushkat, representing "Globes", pointed out in court today that "Globes" and other newspapers have published news items regarding a company controlled by Manbar involved in transferring chemical weaponry to Iran, as determined by the US administration. "Globes" also published Manbar’s response, according to which he was a middleman in the export to Iran of equipment for detecting chemical warfare materials.
Mushkat said that ever since Manbar vanished, news items and feature articles have appeared in the Israeli press about his sudden disappearance, and these profiled his business activity and mentioned his connections as an arms dealer. Mushkat argued that the publicity given to the subject in the press renders privilege superfluous and means that it represents a barrier to the discovery of the truth in the affair.