Netanyahu family questioned in corruption probe

Three Netanyahus were questioned by police regarding their part in Case 4000.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his wife Sara and their son Yair were questioned by police on Monday as part of their probe into an encompassing corruption case.

Netanyahu was questioned at the official prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem, while Sara faced the police at the Lahav 433 Unit headquarters in Lod.

The three were confronted with information provided by Nir Hefetz, Netanyahu’s former media adviser and close confidant, who turned state witness earlier this month.

The Netanyahu couple has previously been probed in the case.

Monday’s questioning is part of the police’s ongoing corruption investigation, dubbed Case 4000.

Case 4000 includes accusations that Shaul Elovitch, former owner of Israeli telecommunications giant Bezeq and current owner of the Walla! News portal, pressured his CEO, Ilan Yeshua, to arrange positive coverage of Netanyahu on Walla! in exchange for the prime minister advancing regulations that would benefit Elovitch. The regulations are worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Bezeq, of which Elovitch was, until recently, a major shareholder.

Sara Netanyahu is accused of pressuring Elovitch’s wife, Iris, regarding the news coverage.

Hefetz allegedly served as the go-between.

Last month, Israeli police recommended that Netanyahu be indicted in a pair of corruption cases.

Case 1000 alleges that Netanyahu received expensive gifts from rich supporters, particularly from Israeli-born movie mogul Arnon Milchan, possibly in return for favors.

Case 2000 involves an alleged pact between Netanyahu and Yedioth Aharonoth publisher Noni Mozes in which Netanyahu proposed to use his power to curtail the influence of Yedioth’s main rival, Israel Hayom, through the passage of a law curbing Israel Hayom’s distribution, in return for Yedioth’s reduction of negative coverage of Netanyahu’s government.

Netanyahu has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and calls the allegations a witch hunt by a “hostile media” against him and his family.