Israeli Prime Minister says his wife wasn't involved in graft affair

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's family issued a statement on Sunday, denying his wife Sara has committed offenses, after the police reportedly recommended to indict her over graft allegations.

"The police didn't recommend to indict Mrs. Netanyahu," read a post on Netanyahu's Facebook page on behalf of his family. "In contrary to recent publications, Mrs. Netanyahu has not committed any offense," it added.

Police spokeswoman, Luba Samri, released a statement on Sunday, according to which it has concluded a criminal investigation over alleged fraud and graft charges and transferred its findings to the Jerusalem prosecution.

She did not elaborate on the police's findings.

However, several major Israeli media outlets reported that Sara Netanyahu was suspected in "obtaining an item by fraud" in three separate cases. In the main case, she reportedly used public money to cover the expenses of nursing care for her elderly father, according to Channel 2 TV news.

According to local media, the police also recommended to indict Mrs. Netanyahu after enough evidence were found for her involvement in the fraud.

The investigation started in February 2015 after a state comptroller's report pointed to Mrs. Netanyahu's alleged use of state funds for private service providers and for personal use in the two homes used by the family in Jerusalem and in the northern coastal town of Caesarea.

More details on the affair emerged amid a civil suit was filed by former caretaker of the official residence, Meni Naftali, against Sara Netanyahu and the Prime Minister's Office for abusive treatment and for not paying him overtime. Naftali won the suit and was awarded 170,000 shekels (about 44,000 U.S. dollars.)

The prime minister's wife was questioned under caution in December 2015 by the Israeli police's Lahav 433 fraud investigation unit over the matter.

One of the issues included in the probe are the employment of electrician Avi Fahima, a member of the Likud party and an associate of Netanyahu, for work at the Caesarea residence during weekends and holidays for higher rates.

Another issue is related to refunds on recycled bottles, as Sara allegedly pocketed thousands of shekels in refunds from bottles which should have gone to the government, who paid for the drinks.

Netanyahu returned 4,000 shekels (over 1,000 U.S. dollars) but Naftali claimed in his suit the sum is closer to 24,000 shekels (about 6,000 U.S. dollars).

Law enforcement have also looked into the family's apparent excessive spending on food, cleaning supplies and makeup, using state funds, between 2009 and 2013.

The police's announcement comes a week after the state comptroller, the government's official watchdog, released a report on the so-called "Bibi-Tours Affairs", pertaining to alleged external finances and double-billing of overseas trips of Netanyahu and his family while he served as finance minister and lawmaker in the early 2000s.

Netanyahu and his family allegedly received hundreds of thousands of shekels from tycoons and public bodies to finance visits in the U.S. and Europe. The state comptroller added there is suspicion for "criminal behavior" in the affair.

Netanyahu said via his attorney that there was "no fault in his actions" and that the allegations were perpetrated by political rivals.

Source: XINHUA