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JERUSALEM: Israeli police were questioning Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife on Friday as part of an investigation into a corruption case involving the country’s telecom giant, Israeli media reported, casting a shadow on the prime minister’s upcoming visit to Washington.
Channel 10 TV showed footage of police entering Netanyahu’s residence. Reports said Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, was being questioned at another location.
Last month, two Netanyahu confidants were arrested on suspicion of promoting regulation worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the Bezeq telecom company. In return, Bezeq’s news site, Walla, allegedly provided positive Netanyahu coverage.
It’s the first time that Netanyahu, who as prime minister also held the communications portfolio until last year, is being questioned over the affair, known as Case 4000.
The development comes ahead of Netanyahu’s visit to Washington where he is to meet with President Donald Trump and speak before the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC next week.
Police have recommended indicting Netanyahu on corruption charges in two other cases.
Netanyahu is accused of accepting nearly $300,000 in lavish gifts from Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer. In return, police say Netanyahu operated on Milchan’s behalf on US visa matters, legislated a tax break and connected him with an Indian businessman.
In the other case, Netanyahu is accused of offering a newspaper publisher legislation that would weaken his paper’s main rival in return for more favorable coverage. Netanyahu reportedly was recorded asking Arnon Mozes, the publisher of Yediot Ahronot, for positive coverage in exchange for helping to weaken Israel Hayom, a free pro-Netanyahu newspaper that had cut into Yediot’s business.
Netanyahu has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has dismissed the accusations as a witch hunt orchestrated by a hostile media.