An Israel-Arab member of Knesset turned himself in for questioning over accusations that he smuggled cellphones and intelligence information to convicted Palestinian terrorists, The Times of Israel reported Tuesday.

Basel Ghattas, an MK from Balad, one of the parties in the Joint (Arab) List faction, presented himself to police in Lod to answer charges that he had given mobile devices and coded messages to Palestinian security prisoners who he visited in the Ketziot Prison, located south of Beersheba. Both of the prisoners are members of Fatah, the political party led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Police believe that Ghattas visited the two prisoners — one of whom was identified as Walid Daka, who is serving a 37-year sentence for the 1984 kidnapping and murder of 19-year-old IDF soldier Moshe Tamam — while carrying the coded notes and phones in his coat pockets. The phones were miniature, finger-sized devices that were manufactured in the Far East and cost tens of thousands of dollars each, according to Israel’s Channel 2.

The items were found after the prisoners met with Ghattas. Authorities wanted to question the MK as he left the prison but he refused, citing parliamentary immunity.

The phones were hidden behind plastic molding near a window in the visiting room, and were intended for prisoners belonging to the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

[Photo: Roy Alima / Flash90 ]