Graft case haunts Israeli first couple

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife is suspected of accepting bribes in a corruption case involving her husband and Israel’s largest telecom company, the police said on Thursday.

A police official told the Tel Aviv Magistrate Court that Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, is suspected of receiving bribes. It was the first time the police publicly specified the suspicion against Sara Netanyahu, who was already questioned several times in the high-profile criminal investigation, Xinhua said.

The case, dubbed by the police as "Case 4000", involves the couple and Shaul Elovitch, a businessman and Benjamin Netanyahu's associate.

Elovitch's communication company Bezeq Telecom allegedly received financial benefits from the Communication Ministry during Netanyahu's service as the Communication Minister.

In return, Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu allegedly received positive coverage by the Walla news site, also controlled by Elovitch.

However, Sara Netanyahu's lawyers released a statement denying the accusations against her, saying she never took part in any bribery case. The Prime Minister is entangled in a series of criminal corruption probes.

In February, the police said there was enough evidence to charge Netanyahu with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in two other cases. Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing, saying the probe is “witch hunt”.

The case, dubbed by the police as “Case 4000”, involves the couple and Shaul Elovitch, a bizman and Benjamin Netanyahu’s associate.