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Israeli police recommends indicting Netanyahu's wife for improprieties at residences

Xinhua, May 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Israeli police recommended that the Jerusalem prosecution file an indictment against Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister's wife, for alleged improprieties at the family's residences, Israeli media reported on Sunday.

The Israeli police released a statement on Sunday, according to which it has finished its probe on alleged fraud charges and transferred its findings to the Jerusalem prosecution.

While police spokeswoman Luba Samri did not release any information on the police's findings in the matter, the Ha'aretz daily and Walla! News website reported the police recommend to indict Sara Netanyahu for the so-called improprieties, after enough evidence were gathered against her.

The police's probe said improprieties started in February 2015 after a state comptroller's report pointed to Sara's alleged use of state funds for private service providers and for personal use in the two homes used by the family in Jerusalem and in the northern coastal town of Caesarea.

More details on the affair emerged amid a civil suit was filed by a former caretaker of the official residence, Meni Naftali, against Sara Netanyahu and the Prime Minister's Office for abusive treatment and for not paying him overtime. Naftali won the suit and was awarded 170,000 shekels (around 44,000 U.S. dollars).

The Prime Minister's wife was questioned under caution in December 2015 by the Israeli police's Lahav 433 fraud investigation unit over the matter.

One of the issues included in the probe are the employment of electrician Avi Fahima, a member of the Likud party and an associate of Netanyahu, for work at the Caesarea residence during weekends and holidays for higher rates.

Another issue is related to refunds on recycled bottles, as Sara allegedly pocketed thousands of shekels in refunds from bottles which should have gone to the government, who paid for the drinks.

Netanyahu returned 4,000 shekels (just over 1,000 U.S. dollars) but Naftali claimed in his suit the sum is closer to 24,000 shekels (around 6,000 U.S. dollars).

Law enforcement authorities have also looked into the family's apparent excessive spending on food, cleaning supplies and makeup, using state funds, between 2009 and 2013.

The police's announcement comes a week after the state comptroller, the government's official watchdog, released a report on the so-called "Bibi-Tours Affairs," pertaining to alleged external finances and double-billing of overseas trips of Netanyahu and his family while he served as finance minister and lawmaker in the early 2000s.

Netanyahu and his family allegedly received hundreds of thousands of shekels (one U.S. dollar is worth nearly four shekels) from tycoons and public bodies to finance visits to the United States and Europe. The state comptroller added there is suspicion for "criminal behavior" in the affair.

The prime minister said via his attorney that there was "no fault in his actions" and that the allegations were perpetrated by political rivals. Endit