Netanyahu's Wife Suspected Of Bribery As Part Of Corruption Investigation - Reports

Netanyahu's Wife Suspected of Bribery as Part of Corruption Investigation - Reports

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife Sara is suspected of bribery as part of the investigation into the Bezeq-Walla corruption affair, also known as Case 4000 and involving the prime minister himself, local media reported on Thursday.

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th August, 2018) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife Sara is suspected of bribery as part of the investigation into the Bezeq-Walla corruption affair, also known as Case 4000 and involving the prime minister himself, local media reported on Thursday.

In February, former Netanyahu spokesman Nir Hefetz, and Shlomo Filber, the ex-director of the Communications Ministry, were arrested on suspicion of promoting regulatory benefits worth hundreds of millions Dollars to Israeli Bezeq telecom company in return for favorable coverage of the prime minister on Bezeq's highly popular news site, Walla. Bezeq chairman Shaul Elovitch is also in custody, along with his wife, son and other Bezeq executives.

According to The Times of Israel, earlier in the day, a police representative told the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court that Sara is suspected of receiving bribes in Case 4000, and that the police have evidence that Elovitch and his wife, Iris, as well as Benjamin Netanyahu and Sara, were all aware of the financial implications of their affair.

This was the first official statement that the prime minister's wife can be added to the list of suspects, according to media reports.

The Netanyahus have been repeatedly questioned as part of the investigation. Netanyahu himself has not yet been named as a suspect in the case. The questioning on August 17 was the 11th one for Netanyahu in a series of corruption probes.

The Israeli prime minister is also involved in two two other separate corruption cases - Case 1000 and Case 2000. The first one has focused on Natanyahu's receipt of expensive gifts from members of the business community, the total value of which is estimated at $300,000. In Case 2000, Netanyahu is alleged to have attempted to conclude a deal with the Yedioth Ahronoth publisher, which was to cover the government's activities in a favorable way, as part of the deal. Netanyahu, for his part, said he would adopt a bill that would limit the opportunities of the Israel Hayom newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth's main competitor.

Regarding Case 2000, the police said that it had "collected sufficient evidence basis" to indict Netanyahu on bribery, fraud and abuse of trust and recommended to indict Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon Mozes on bribery.