New corruption cases entangle Netanyahu aides

[webfact]

New corruption cases entangle Netanyahu aides

By Jeffrey Heller and Tova Cohen

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara cut a ribbon during an inauguration ceremony for a fortified emergency room at the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, southern Israel, February 20, 2018. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

 

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli police alleged on Tuesday that Benjamin Netanyahu's former spokesman tried to bribe a judge to drop a fraud case against Netanyahu's wife, the latest corruption investigation encircling the long-serving prime minister.

 

The new bribery case was one of two revealed on Tuesday involving the same former spokesman, a close Netanyahu confidant. Police also named him as someone they had arrested two days earlier in a separate case involving allegations of corruption at Israel's biggest telecoms company.

 

The rightwing leader, in office for 12 years since 1996, has seen his dominance of Israeli politics threatened by corruption investigations since police recommended a week ago that he be indicted for bribery and fraud.

 

He has denied wrongdoing in what are now four separate investigations, including two in which he is personally a suspect. He says the allegations are a political "witch hunt".

 

In the latest case, police said former Netanyahu spokesman Nir Hefetz had offered through an intermediary in 2015 to help a judge win the post of attorney-general if she agreed to use the position to block any proceedings against Netanyahu's wife Sara.

 

Last September Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit said he was considering indicting Sara Netanyahu for fraud over suspected use of state funds for personal dining and catering services amounting to some $100,000. She has denied the allegations and a final decision on charges is pending.

 

"HALLUCINATORY"

 

The prime minister rejected the allegation about the attempt to bribe the judge, calling it "hallucinatory".

 

"I never approached Nir Hefetz about this, he never proposed to me anything about it, and you know what? I do not believe he raised the possibility with anyone," Netanyahu said.

 

A lawyer for Hefetz could not be reached.

 

In the other case revealed on Tuesday, police said they had arrested Hefetz and another Netanyahu confidant, Shlomo Filber, who once ran the Communications Ministry, over allegations of corruption involving the telecoms firm Bezeq.

 

Bezeq's main shareholder, Shaul Elovitch, was also arrested, along with his wife and son, and Bezeq's CEO Stella Handler. Elovitch is a family friend of the Netanyahus. The arrests took place on Sunday but were not disclosed for two days under standard Israeli procedure.

 

Police suspect Bezeq received regulatory benefits in return for providing favourable media coverage of Netanyahu on Walla, a news website that is controlled by Elovitch's holding company Eurocom.

 

Elovitch has denied any wrongdoing, as have his wife and son, and Bezeq CEO Handler, a Eurocom spokeswoman said. Filber's lawyer declined to comment.

 

Netanyahu is not a suspect in that case but Israeli media said he was likely to be questioned soon.

 

Last week, police recommended Netanyahu be indicted in two cases. In one he is suspected of bribery over his acknowledged receipt of gifts from wealthy businessmen, which police say were worth nearly $300,000. In the other, he is alleged to have offered the publisher of Israel's biggest daily to curtail circulation of a rival newspaper in return for positive coverage.

 

Netanyahu, who has maintained his normal working schedule and is due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on March 5, has denied all the allegations and vowed to remain in office to serve out his term, which runs until 2019.

 

Mandelblit is weighing indictments in those investigations, with a decision possibly months away.

 

(Additional reporting by Steven Scheer and Ori Lewis; Editing by Peter Graff and Gareth Jones)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-02-21

[Morch]

One of the people mentioned in the OP turned state-witness. Rats. Sinking Ship.

 

Netanyahu Confidant Turns Against Him in Dramatic State's Evidence Deal

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-netanyahu-confidant-turns-against-him-in-dramatic-state-s-evidence-deal-1.5841162

[thaibeachlovers]

All good. Pity he won't be sharing a cell with some Palestinians.

[thaibeachlovers]

22 minutes ago, Morch said:

One of the people mentioned in the OP turned state-witness. Rats. Sinking Ship.

 

Netanyahu Confidant Turns Against Him in Dramatic State's Evidence Deal

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-netanyahu-confidant-turns-against-him-in-dramatic-state-s-evidence-deal-1.5841162

Can't read the linked article unless a subscriber.

[Morch]

4 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Can't read the linked article unless a subscriber.

 

Netanyahu aide agrees to implicate PM over corruption claims – reports

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/21/benjamin-netanyahu-aide-shlomo-filber-testify-against-israeli-pm-reports

 

Confidant of Israel's Netanyahu turns state witness in corruption case: media

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-politics-corruption/confidant-of-israels-netanyahu-turns-state-witness-in-corruption-case-media-idUSKCN1G50HS

Edited February 21, 2018 by Morch

[thaibeachlovers]

IMO, Netanyahu's fate will be clear if he does or does not have a visit with the US president next month. If the meeting is cancelled, I'd say the writing will be on the wall for Bibi.

[Morch]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

IMO, Netanyahu's fate will be clear if he does or does not have a visit with the US president next month. If the meeting is cancelled, I'd say the writing will be on the wall for Bibi.

 

I think he's pretty much done, more a question of how he decides to play it, and how much additional cases and extra dirt come up. Unless he's actually forced to step down, he can either go for a quick election and try playing the good old victim card or play for time while trying to secure a deal which will get him off the hook.

 

In theory, if he steps down, the government does not resign and parliament is not dissolved. There's also a legal option for him to temporarily step down. In practice, considering the political ambitions and rivalries involved, little chance of it happening.  If it comes to that, elections are far more likely.

 

Netanyahu's political allies and cronies usually go on a media offense whenever such allegation are raised. There's currently a telling relative silence from ministers and higher ups, leaving the arena for the hardcore element.