In a bombshell announcement that could once again threaten the stability of the government, the Israel Police announced on Sunday that it was recommending bribery charges against both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, in the Bezeq corruption probe, known as Case 4000.
Investigators say that Benjamin Netanyahu advanced regulatory decisions benefiting Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder in Bezeq, the country’s largest telecommunications firm — despite opposition from the Communication Ministry’s career officials — in exchange for positive coverage from Elovitch’s Walla news site.
In a blistering accusation, police said “the prime minister and his associates intervened in a blatant and ongoing manner, and sometimes even daily, in the content published by the Walla News website, and also sought to influence the appointment of senior officials (editors and reporters) via their contacts with Shaul and Iris Elovitch,” the Bezeq owner’s wife.
“The main suspicion is that the prime minister took bribes and acted in a conflict of interest by intervening and acting in regulatory decisions that favor Shaul Elovitch and the Bezeq Group, while at the same time directly and indirectly demanded interference with the content of the Walla site in a way that would benefit him,” police said in a joint statement with the Israel Securities Authority, which also took part in the nine-month investigation.
Police said there was “improper conduct between Netanyahu and Elovitch on two main axes: diverting media coverage in exchange for preferable regulation.”
Investigators said they believe there is enough evidence to bring Netanyahu to trial on charges of accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust and fraudulently accepting benefits.
The Bezeq case is the most serious of the three cases in which Netanyahu has been accused. Two of his top confidants have turned state witnesses and are believed to have provided police with incriminating evidence. Netanyahu held the government’s communications portfolio until last year and oversaw regulation in the field. Many former journalists at Walla have attested to being pressured to refrain from negative reporting of Netanyahu.
Israel Police Say- Israeli PM Netanyahu should be charged with bribery
– Authorities allege Netanyahu awarded regulatory favors to Bezeq Telecom Israel in return for more positive coverage of him and his wife on a news website, Walla, owned by the company.
Ed Sheeran#ARSTOT pic.twitter.com/eWPR9nMx7p— Wish Fm (@Wishfmradio) December 2, 2018
Police say the investigation, which included the testimony of 60 witnesses, revealed that Netanyahu and Bezeq boss Shaul Elovitch engaged in a “bribe-based relationship.” Two suspects-turned-state’s-witness helped police in the investigation: former media adviser to the Netanyahu family Nir Hefetz former Communications Ministry director general Shlomo Filber.
The summary of the investigation also included a recommendation to charge Sara Netanyahu with bribery, fraud and breach of trust, and for “disruption of investigative and judicial proceedings,” as well as charges against Shaul Elovitch.
Police said that the findings show the prime minister used his office “to promote Shaul Elovitch’s regulatory affairs, including the issue of the Bezeq-Yes merger, and including the coverage of these matters in Walla’s positive coverage,” referring to the Yes satellite TV company.
“The intervention of the prime minister and his associates in the contents and appointments of employees at the Walla website was intended to promote his personal interests by publishing flattering articles and pictures, and removing critical content about the prime minister and his family,” the statement said.
Netanyahu denied the allegations Sunday, accusing the police of a conspiracy against him.Sara Netanyahu, police said, acted on the prime minister’s behalf to coordinate coverage at Walla with Shaul Elovitch, Iris Elovitch and Ilan Yeshua, the CEO of the news site, against whom they also recommended bribery charges.
“The findings also revealed that the Elovitch family influenced Walla’s publications, in exchange for the prime minister’s regulatory decisions in favor of of Shaul Elovitch and the Bezeq Group, and out of a desire to further advance the business interests of the Bezeq Group in general and its controlling shareholder in particular,” police said.
Police said there was enough evidence to indict Shaul and Iris Elovitch, as well as Bezeq official Amirak Shorer, on charges of giving bribes, disruption of investigative and judicial proceedings, and breaking money laundering laws.
@netanyahu in first appearance following @IL_police announcement as per his recent bribery suspicions (4000, bezeq/walls case) pic.twitter.com/GdmlZmxJy9
— Tal Schneider טל שניידר تال شنايدر (@talschneider) December 2, 2018
They also recommended charging their son Or Elovitch and former Bezeq CEO Stella Handler for fraud and breach of trust; and Ze’ev Rubenstein, a close friend of the Netanyahu and Elovitch families and vice president of Israel Bonds, for bribery charges.
Police also said that during the investigation, carried out by the force’s Lahav 433 National Unit for Combating Economic Crime together with the enforcement branch of the Tax Authority, assets and funds estimated at a value of NIS 118 million (some $32 million) were seized from suspects in the case.