Israeli first lady Sara Netanyahu to face fraud charges

International Desk: Israel’s attorney general said Friday that he intended to bring fraud charges against Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing her of misusing some $100,000 in public funds in her management of the prime minister’s official residence.

But the nation’s top prosecutor also closed, citing a lack of evidence, a host of other inquiries into Mrs. Netanyahu. These included allegations that she had used state funds to pay for outdoor furniture and electrical work for the Netanyahus’ private home in Caesarea, had public employees care for her dying father, and improperly redeemed more than $1,000 in bottle deposits for cash.

Mrs. Netanyahu, who will have the opportunity to try to block an indictment at a hearing, is accused of conspiring with a member of the prime minister’s staff to conceal the fact that the residence employed a government-paid cook so she could order hundreds of catered meals from expensive restaurants and charge them to the state. Government rules prohibit charging the government for meals when a cook is on the premises.

While the amount involved in the case seems relatively minor, the so-called “meal-booking affair,” as the Israeli media calls it, is one of four corruption investigations closing in on Mr. Netanyahu and adds to the perception that Mrs. Netanyahu has exploited her husband’s office to finance her opulent tastes.

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit said he would seek an indictment of Mrs. Netanyahu on charges of aggravated acquisition through fraudulent means, fraud and breach of trust. The most serious charge carries a possible sentence of five years in prison.

Source: Agencies

 

risingbd/Dhaka/September 09, 2017/A K Azad