Israeli Police Recommend Lieberman Indictment

By JTA August 2, 2009

The Israeli Police’s National Fraud Unit recommended that the state prosecutor indict Avigdor Lieberman in a money-laundering scheme.

In a brief turned over Sunday to the Attorney General’s office, the police recommended that the foreign minister be indicted on charges of bribery, fraud, money laundering, witness harassment and obstruction of justice, Ha’aretz reported.

The investigation has been ongoing for several years, but picked up steam after Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu became the third largest political party in the country in last February’s elections. Lieberman petitioned the Supreme Court to speed up the investigation after he became foreign minister.

“For 13 years the police have conducted a campaign of persecution against me,” Lieberman said in a statement released Sunday. “As much as my political strength and the strength of Yisrael Beiteinu rise, the campaign of persecution also intensifies.”

He is under investigation for establishing shell companies that allegedly funneled millions of shekels to him, continuing after Lieberman took public office. He also is accused of trying to obstruct police investigations.

Lieberman also served as a salaried employee in a company owned by his daughter, Michal, which during his three-year employment received millions of dollars from anonymous sources overseas for consulting, according to Ha’aretz.

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