Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might finally face justice at least over corruption as Israeli police chiefs are set to indict him over bribery, local news outlets reported Wednesday.
“Police chiefs are in unanimous agreement that there is sufficient evidence to indict Netanyahu for bribe taking in Case 1,000 or the so-called “gifts affair,” according to the local Ynet news site. Netanyahu faces charges over bribery and corruption in at least three cases dubbed Cases 1,000, 2,000, and 3,000.
The case likely to get him involves his wife Sara and he receiving illegal gifts from Israeli billionaires in exchange for favors, as the case with Israeli-born Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan who gifted the family hundreds of thousands of shekels’ worth of cigars and champagne.
#BREAKING: Israeli police chiefs have decided to recommend indicting PM Benjamin Netanyahu for corruption, Israeli media report pic.twitter.com/U1g0T3359W
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) February 7, 2018
Case 2000 involves a suspected illicit quid pro quo deal between Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper publisher Arnon Mozes in which the right-wing leader offered to limit the circulation of Israel Hayom, a free, pro-Netanyahu daily owned and published by U.S. billionaire and Republican party donor Sheldon Adelson, if Mozes gave the prime minister more favorable coverage.
Ynet reported that police are split on whether they have evidence to bring charges against Netanyahu on that that case.
A third case, Case 3000, surfaced last summer and is said to involve close members of the prime minister’s family and illegalities in the purchase of multibillion-dollar submarines, in what former officials have called one of the biggest corruption scandals in the country’s history.
When you're attacking Israeli police chiefs because you're about to be indicted, you're losing https://t.co/wNSM717NQw
— Jay McKenzie (@JamesFourM) February 8, 2018
Police have not made comments on a possible indictment on the third case as investigation seems to still be underway.
But Netanyahu, one of the few allies U.S. President Donald Trump and the leader of the most conservative government in Israel’s history, denies all allegations.
Shortly after the report of a possible indictment, he posted a Facebook video message Wednesday night, where he appeared calm and assured supporters that nothing would come out of the case.
“Many of you are asking: what will happen? So I want to calm you: there will be nothing, because I know the truth,” he said. “I am certain that at the end of the day, the certified legal authorities will come to one conclusion, the simple truth: there is nothing.”
(teleSUR, PC, Social Media)
