The higher Shlomo Benizri's position, the more money he demanded and received from contractor Moshe Sela, the latter testified Thursday in Jerusalem's District Court.

Sela, who turned state's witness, began his testimony in the trial against former minister Shlomo Benizri of Shas. Benizri and his spiritual mentor, Rabbi Reuven Elbaz, have been indicted for taking bribery, breach of trust and obstructing the investigation.

Benizri and Elbaz are charged with receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars for inside information about importing foreign workers, which Benizri gave Sela when he served as Labor Minister between 2001 and 2003.

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"The higher his position, the higher his expenses became and the larger the sums I gave him. More trips, more suits ... he helped me and I helped him. We were good friends," Sela testified, describing his relations with Benizri.

At first Sela helped Benizri buy furniture, install an air conditioner and build a balcony in his house, he said.

At a later stage, when Benizri was appointed deputy health minister and then labor and social affairs minister, Sela began transferring monthly payments to Benizri, Elbaz and Elbaz's yeshiva.

"It began with NIS 3000-4000 a month, then NIS 7000 and NIS 10,000 and then $20,000 and $100,000. I bought him electric appliances, trips, overseas travel, etc.," Sela said.

"It was more than friendship, it was in each other's interest," he said.

Sela said he arranged for a foreign worker to clean up Benizri's apartment, and purchased an adjacent apartment himself, so that the two could be adjoined.

At first the friendship was real, Sela said. "I admired and respected him," he said. But once Benizri was appointed deputy health minister he changed completely, he said.

"Suddenly the honest, righteous Shlomo Benizri disappeared and became a different person...I would remove my kippa if I were him," Sela said.

Benizri's attorneys lashed out at Sela for not remembering the dates in which the interactions he spoke of took place.

Sela is due to continue his testimony next week.