Joseph Ben-Gal, the alleged “secret agent” for Israel, under arrest here since March 2 on a charge of having threatened the daughter of a German scientist at work on the Egyptian program for development of non-conventional weapons aimed at Israel, was released on bail here today.
A statement issued by the president of the Basle Criminal Court declared: “Israeli citizen Joseph Ben-Gal, detained on charges of coercion, was released on bail and cer tain other conditions, while awaiting his trial, to begin June 10.”
Neither the prosecutor here, nor Dr. George Brunschwig, Ben-Gal’s attorney, would reveal the nature of the “certain conditions.” Mr. Brunschwig’s only comment in reply to a question by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency was: “The bail set for Ben-Gal is perfectly normal for the case, and is not excessive by any means.”
Mr. Brunschwig had applied for Ben-Gal’s release on bail over the weekend, after the Swiss Government had announced it had refused to permit his extradition to West Ger many to establish whether he had participated in threatening the life of another German scientist employed on the Nasser armament program.
As soon as Ben-Gal was released, he called on the chief prosecutor of the Swiss canton where he was detained, thanking the official for the treatment he had received in jail. It was learned that he had been spirited out of jail through a side door. Both Swiss authorities here and official Israeli sources said they do not know where he is now.
Meanwhile, it was ascertained that Prof. Otto Jukelik, an Austrian scientist arrested with Ben-Gal and also accused by the West Germans of complicity in the threatening of another scientist, is still in jail at Lonhof, outside Basle. He, too, has applied for release on bail, but his bail application will be decided by the criminal court here early next week.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
