In a court hearing today in the case of private investigator Zvi Menolovich, one of those arrested in the Trojan Horse industrial espionage affair, the Israel Police announced that evidence against him was sufficient for an indictment.
Menolovich is suspected of conspiring to extract business information from companies linked to businessman Ronnie Duek through use of a Trojan Horse program. He is also suspected of fraudulently receiving huge quantities of correspondence, e-mails, and other information.
Menolovich was freed to house arrest, and was enjoined from contacting other involved in the affair. After violating the conditions of his release, he was re-arrested a week ago, and his remand was extended until today.
The police asked the Tel Aviv Magistrates Court today to extend Menolovich’s remand by another five days. The police representative claimed that the suspect had admitted to breaking the law, but had denied that materials seized on his premises had been obtained by computer hacking and wiretapping. The suspect said that he had engaged in collecting material through legitimate investigation. He was unwilling to provide details because of a civil action, which he said would be filed soon against Duek and his wife.
The police representative alleged that the suspect’s statement was false. He said that some investigation work remained to be done in Israel and overseas, and that the request to extend the suspect’s remand in order to prepare an indictment against him should be granted.
Tel Aviv Magistrates Court Judge Mordechai Peled said that he had seen a secret report, allegedly based on a reasonable suspicion against the suspect concerning violations listed in the prosecutor’s statement, and that the investigation in the business espionage affairs was being expanded. Peled extended the suspect’s arrest by three days for the filing of an indictment against him.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on June 20, 2005