Liberal 000
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Police due to question Netanyahu today in graft probe
The Prime Ministers home has been closed off and a black veil erected to keep out the medias eyes - police investigators have not yet arrived to PMs home.
[FONT=&]Prime Minister Benjmin Netanyahu is expected to be questioned under caution at his residence in Jerusalem today by police [/FONT]regarding the receipt of illegal gifts[FONT=&].
[/FONT][FONT=&]On Monday morning, the Prime Ministers Residence was closed off and a black veil erected to keep out the medias eyes - police investigators have not yet arrived to the premiers home. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]The prime minister is suspected of receiving improper gifts worth hundreds of thousands of shekels from Israeli and foreign businessmen, in a manner which breached his duty of trust as a public servant, according to Hebrew media reports. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]This comes as reports surfaced over the weekend that World Jewish Congress President and long-time ally Ronald Lauder told police that he did give Netanyahu and his son Yair gifts, including pricey suits. The evidence provided by Lauder supposedly provided impetus to interrogate Netanyahu. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]In a cabinet meeting on Sunday Netanyahu responded to numerous attacks from opposition figures criticizing the PM over the corruption allegations. I suggest that the opposition calm down, Netanyahu said at the opening of a cabinet meeting. At least we pay for suits ourselves, Zionist Unions Tzipi Livini quipped over Twitter on Sunday. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]In two other counterattacks from Netanyahu's allies, MK David Amsallem (Likud) said Sunday he would propose a bill to block future investigations of sitting prime ministers as the law is in some other countries such as France. The law would not apply to Netanyahu, but is seen as a rebuke of the police. Also, Sunday Likud sources told Channel 2 that even if Netanyahu gets into more serious trouble, they would not call early elections and would maintain Likud dominance over the current coalition. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]The dramatic report of Netanyahus impending questioning is a glimpse of concrete details in a steady drumbeat of vague reports about preliminary probes into several allegations regarding the prime minister.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]This comes as Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit, reportedly approved a criminal investigation of Netanyahu, however, in an unprecedented move, would make no announcement about moving from a preliminary probe to a criminal investigation until after the police have questioned Netanyahu under caution. Typically, the attorney-general makes a public announcement of such a shift, and only afterward would the police question the suspect.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Channel 2 reported on Friday that Mandelblit discussed the investigation with the prime minister as early as December 12.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Netanyahu issued various responses over the weekend denying all accusation and insinuating his accusers of trying to implicate him with the police, since they could not beat him at the ballot box. Try to replace the prime minister at the ballot box, as is customary practice in a democracy, the Prime Minister said on his Facebook page Saturday night.
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