Greece probes crash that killed witness in Netanyahu trial

By DEREK GATOPOULOS and LAURIE KELLMAN
Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Authorities in Greece have opened an investigation into the crash of a private plane from Israel that killed a prosecution witness in the corruption trial of former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Haim Geron, a former senior official at Israel’s ministry of communications, and his wife Esther were killed in the crash late Monday off the island of Samos. The Israeli Foreign Ministry identified the victims, both aged 69, adding that consular officials and the ministry were working with the family to return the bodies. Geron was one of more than 300 witnesses that prosecutors listed for Netanyahu’s trial on corruption charges. He is on trial for allegedly accepting expensive gifts from wealthy associates, allegations he denies.