This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/02/police-question-benjamin-netanyahu-over-third-corruption-case

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Police question Benjamin Netanyahu over third corruption case Police question Benjamin Netanyahu over third corruption case
(about 4 hours later)
Israeli police were questioning Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife on Friday as part of an investigation into a corruption case involving the country’s telecom giant, casting a shadow on the prime minister’s trip to Washington next week. Israeli police questioned Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife on Friday as part of a corruption investigation involving the country’s largest telecom firm, local media reported, the third such scandal to engulf the prime minister.
Channel 10 TV showed footage of police entering Netanyahu’s residence. Reports said Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, was being questioned at another location. Known as Case 4,000, the investigation centres around allegations that the owners of Bezeq Israel Telecom provided positive coverage of the Netanyahus on a news website in return for regulatory changes worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Two Netanyahu confidants were arrested last month on suspicion of promoting regulation worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the Bezeq telecom company. In return, Bezeq’s news site, Walla, allegedly provided positive Netanyahu coverage. Bezeq has denied wrongdoing, and Netanyahu has not been named as suspect in the case. Police confirmed the Netanyahus had been questioned for several hours as part of an investigation, but did not specify which one.
It is the first time that Netanyahu, who as prime minister also held the communications portfolio until last year, is being questioned over the affair, known as Case 4,000. Channel 10 TV showed footage on Friday of police entering Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem. His wife, Sara, was being questioned at the same time in Tel Aviv, according to her lawyer.
The Israeli PM is embroiled in three cases involving allegations of bribery and misconduct. He denies wrongdoing in every instance. The reports throw a cloud above Netanyahu’s planned visit to Washington next week, where he will meet Donald Trump and give a speech to the pro-Israel lobby Aipac.
Case 1000 is an investigation into gifts received on a regular basis by Netanyahu and his family from two wealthy businessmen, including cigars and pink champagne. Pressure has been piling on the 68-year-old leader, whose rightwing politics have dominated Israel for a generation. Last month, police recommended Israel’s attorney general indict him in two separate bribery investigations, one of which also relates to gifts in exchange for favourable media reports.
Case 2000 is examining whether Netanyahu behaved improperly during a taped conversation with a newspaper publisher in which he appeared to try to negotiate more sympathetic coverage in return for lowering the circulation of a rival paper. That development, along with the arrest of high-level members of his inner circle, poses a serious threat to the country’s second-longest serving prime minister, who has held office for four terms.
Case 3000 is an inquiry into alleged kickbacks in a deal to buy German submarines. Netanyahu is not a suspect, but he was closely involved in the deal and the case has ensnared members of his inner circle.  Netanyahu, who also headed the communications portfolio until last year, has vehemently denied allegations of corruption and accuses the media of leading a witch-hunt against him.
The development comes ahead of Netanyahu’s visit to Washington where he is to meet with President Donald Trump and speak before the pro-Israel lobby Aipac next week. Case 1,000, also known as the “gifts affair”, involves claims that he and his family received about £200,000 worth of gifts from international billionaires, including expensive cigars, pink champagne and jewellery for his wife. Alleged wealthy benefactors include the Hollywood producer and media magnate Arnon Milchan and the Australian businessman James Packer.
Police have recommended indicting Netanyahu on corruption charges in two other cases. In return, police say, Netanyahu helped Milchan, a producer who worked on Pretty Woman and Fight Club, with US visa matters and Israeli tax breaks.
Netanyahu is accused of accepting nearly $300,000 in lavish gifts from the Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and the Australian billionaire James Packer. In return, police say Netanyahu operated on Milchan’s behalf on US visa matters, legislated a tax break and connected him with an Indian businessman. Case 2,000 relates to secret talks with the publisher of a leading Israeli newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, in which Netanyahu allegedly requested supportive coverage in exchange for damaging a competitor, the pro-Netanyahu freesheet Israel Hayom.
In the other case, Netanyahu is accused of offering a newspaper publisher legislation that would weaken his paper’s main rival in return for more favourable coverage. Netanyahu was reportedly recorded asking Arnon Mozes, the publisher of Yediot Ahronoth, for positive coverage in exchange for helping to weaken Israel Hayom, a free pro-Netanyahu newspaper that had cut into Yediot’s business. A further case under investigation Case 3,000 is an inquiry into alleged kickbacks in a deal to buy German submarines. Netanyahu is not a suspect, but he was closely involved in the deal and the case has ensnared members of his inner circle.
Netanyahu has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has dismissed the accusations as a witch-hunt orchestrated by a hostile media. The attorney general will decide whether to accept the police recommendation to charge Netanyahu, a process that is likely to take months. Netanyahu’s delicately balanced coalition has stood by him so far, and he plans to run in elections due in late 2019.
Reuters contributed to this report
IsraelIsrael
Benjamin NetanyahuBenjamin Netanyahu
Middle East and North AfricaMiddle East and North Africa
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on Google+Share on Google+
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content