Israeli Police recommends indicting foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, on bribery, fraud, breach of trust and money laundering

Israeli Police recommends indicting Lieberman

Sunday August 02, 2009 22:56 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Israeli National Fraud Unit had recommended indicting Israel’s Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu racist Israeli Party for several charges including bribery, fraud, breach of trust and money laundering.

The investigation unit also said that Lieberman tried to obstruct the investigation and even harassed a witness. The unit plans to demand that he should also be charged with obstructing justice.

The committee turned its findings and recommendations to the Israeli Attorney General’s Office.

On his side, Lieberman claimed that he has been prosecuted for his political power for the past 13 years, and that there are attempts to force him out of office, Israeli Ynet News reported.

He also claimed that the investigation against him is baseless.

It is worth mentioning that the Israeli police had investigated Lieberman several times since 1990, the investigations focused on a number of issues, including financing infractions, and receiving illegal funds.

The Ynet added that they main evidence against the Foreign Minister came from a political source who came across information that incriminate Lieberman.

According to the Israeli Police, Lieberman carried monetary infractions that mounts to NIS 10 Million, and that this money was funneled to him through six to eight unreal corporations. The infractions were carried out by Lieberman when he served as the Transportation Minister, and National Infrastructure and Strategic Affairs Minister.

Meanwhile, Israeli online daily, Haaretz, reported that in the period between 2004 and 2006, Lieberman earned NIS 2.5 Million as a ‘salaried employee’ for a company owned by his daughter, Michal Lieberman.

Haaretz added that it obtained information revealing that Lieberman also received NIS 11 Million from anonymous sources for ‘business consulting’.

In December of 2007, the Israeli court decided to strip Lieberman of the attorney-client privileges and the police raided his attorney’s office and confiscated some files connected to the case.

Lieberman filed an appeal against the motion but in August of 2008 the Supreme Court denied the appeal.

The Financial Crime Unit and the National Fraud Unit had concluded their investigation two weeks ago and worked on compiling indictment recommendations.

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