Already involved in two corruption cases, the Israeli prime minister is reportedly involved in a third case of "bribery", "fraud" and "breach of trust". The police recommend his indictment. A case that could cause the fall of the head of government.
Israeli police on Sunday urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be charged with a third corruption case that could lead to the fall of the head of government, led by a weak majority in recent weeks.
It is now up to the Attorney General to decide whether or not to indict the Prime Minister and his wife Sara for accepting "bribes" , "fraud" and "breach of trust" . Police also recommend Ms. Netanyahu's indictment for "obstruction" of justice. The head of government immediately proclaimed his innocence again and attacked police chief Roni Alsheikh, who stepped down on Sunday.
"Me and my wife Sara are the targets of a manhunt"
"How is it that the police recommendations are made public the same day the chief of police leaves office? The games were made in advance. Me and my wife Sara are the targets of a manhunt , " said Benjamin Netanyahu during a speech in the Tel Aviv region. "I am sure that in this case the competent authorities, having examined the question, will come to the same conclusion: that there was nothing because there is nothing," he had said before in a communicated.
The couple is believed to have tried to secure favorable coverage from the Walla news site in exchange for government favors that could have brought hundreds of millions of dollars to Shaul Elovich, who was boss of both the main Israeli telecommunications group Bezek and Walla. Between 2012 and 2017, Benjamin Netanyahu and his entourage "intervened on the content published by the news website Walla and sought to influence the nomination of people" to "publish articles and photos flattering, removing the content criticizing the Prime Minister and his family, " police said in a statement.
Two other corruption cases
Benjamin Netanyahu enjoys strong popularity, and, above all, faces an opposition that does not seem able to beat him if elections were held today. The deadline is normally November 2019, but for months has floated a perfume of early elections. Police have recommended charging the head of the government in two other corruption cases, his wife being on trial for a case of food expenses.
The police suspect Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his family, for receiving a million shekels ($ 285,000) luxury cigars, champagne bottles and jewelry from wealthy personalities, in exchange for financial or personal favors. In another case, they suspect him of trying to make an agreement with the owner of Yediot Aharonot for more favorable coverage from the biggest Israeli daily newspaper.
At the beginning of November, the police also announced that they had evidence proving the involvement of Benjamin Netanyahu's cousin and lawyer David Shimron in a corruption case involving the sale by Germany to Israel of submarines and military ships. . The head of government has not been implicated in this case.