The lawyer of Meir Rabin, the main suspect in the Holyland corruption affair, said Monday that his client was questioned in the past few days on suspicion of transferring money to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Shas' spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, together with the state witness in the affair.
Meanwhile Monday, the Petah Tikva District Court denied Rabin's appeal and ruled that he would remain in custody.
The investigators asked Rabin whether he had given Rabbi Yosef about NIS 1 million (about $270,000) in donations. He was also asked whether he had transferred money to Knesset Member Ruhama Avraham-Balila and former Minister Dan Naveh (Likud).
Rabin is considered the main suspect in the affair as the police suspect his job was to advance different projects by transferring bribes to senior public figures.
He is suspected of taking a bribe and handing it to Jerusalem Municipality officials in order to advance the projects. Rabin is the only suspect detained since the affair was cleared for publication who is still under arrest.
Attorney Giora Zilberstein told Ynet, "My client was questioned on suspicion of transferring money to those officials. He strongly denied the allegations presented by the investigators. These are once again claims made by the state witness, but they have nothing to do with reality."
Speaking at the Petah Tikva District Court, Attorney Zilberstein said that "these claims are groundless. He denies the allegations. They are looking for a reason to extend his arrest. They accused him of bribing these public figures and we must check what the police are relaying on.
"The police are trying to break my client down with things that have nothing to do with him. If the accusations are so serious and include bribing high-ranking figures, how is it possible that the police did not present these claims to him and only remembered them now?"

Lieberman: This is nonsense

Foreign Minister Lieberman's office responded to the allegations by saying, "This is nonsense that should not be dignified with a response."
MK Avraham-Balila said, "This is nonsense and slander that I do not plan to let pass. I never met the man in question. I plan to instruct my lawyer to look into this gibberish and file a criminal complaint for libel against whoever made this false, delusional accusation."
Former Minister Naveh said, "It's a shame that names like mine are casually blown into the air, when it is clear that only wild imagination could connect them to the affair."
Judge Avraham Tal explained his decision to keep Rabin in custody: "A review of the planned investigation activities and the activities already carried out shows that the police are operating intensively and efficiently to advance the probe, and the lack of cooperation at the stage on Rabin's part does not contribute to its progress.
"He is entitled not to cooperate with his investigators, and is not disclosing the reason why he won’t cooperate, but he must know that the investigation will naturally be prolonged, and if his release my sabotage it he will have to remain under arrest until the operation activities which may be sabotaged by his release are carried out."