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Israeli PM's indictment submitted in court
From:Xinhua  |  2020-01-28 20:50

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JERUSALEM, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Criminal indictment charging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with corruption was filed in the Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday, the Attorney-General's office said.

The office of Attorney-General Avihai Mandelblit said in a statement that the indictment charges Netanyahu with three separate cases of corruption. The charges include bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.

The office said the submission of the indictment, originally issued in November, has been postponed because Netanyahu said he wants to ask the Knesset (parliament) to grant him a parliamentary immunity to avoid prosecution at court.

Earlier on Tuesday, Netanyahu announced on his official Facebook page that he has withdrawn the request, amidst apparent majority in the Knesset to reject his request.

About an hour later, Madelblit's office submitted the indictment, "as required by law," the office said.

The move marks the beginning of the prosecution of Israel's longest-serving prime minister.

According to the indictment, a copy of which has been seen by Xinhua, in a corruption affair dubbed "Case 4000," Netanyahu has taken bribes from Shaul Elovitch, a former control-holder of Bezeq, Israel's largest telecom company, by giving Bezeq financial and regulatory benefits.

During the alleged offenses, Netanyahu was the communication minister in addition to his capacity as prime minister. He had intervened with regulators to assist Bezeq. In exchange, Elovitch, a close friend of Netanyahu, allegedly required Walla, a news site controlled by Elovitch, to provide favorable coverage of Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu.

In "Case 1000," Netanyahu and his family allegedly received expensive cigars, champagne, and jewelry worth about 1 million new shekels (about 268,200 dollars) from the Israeli businessman and Hollywood tycoon, Arnon Milchan, between 2007 and 2016.

In "Case 2000," Netanyahu and Arnon Mozes, the publisher of Yedioth Ahronoth, one of Israel's largest newspapers, allegedly held talks over an "exchange deal," in which Netanyahu would receive favorable coverage in Yedioth Ahronoth.

Netanyahu has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the allegations as "a political witch hunt."

Netanyahu, 70, is struggling also for his political survival, with a tight race against the centrist Benny Gantz, Israel's former military chief, ahead of the March 2 national elections.

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