Fraud squad detectives questioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Jerusalem residence on Friday, the seventh time in a nearly year-long corruption probe, police said.
“Police questioned the PM today for a number of hours as part of an ongoing investigation,” a brief police statement said.
Public
radio said an investigation into suspicions Netanyahu received luxury
gifts from wealthy supporters, including Israeli businessman and
Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian tycoon James Packer, was
nearing completion.
“This is likely to be his last
interrogation” on the gifts case, it said. “After that the police intend
to wrap up the case within a short time.”
The Maariv newspaper reported that detectives believed they had sufficient evidence to pass the file to the state prosecutor.
“The
police are still deliberating whether to attribute to Netanyahu the
offence of bribe-taking or receiving benefits,” Maariv said.
The Israeli prime minister was first questioned on January 2.
Investigations
are expected to continue in a second case in which police suspect that
Netanyahu sought a secret pact for favourable coverage with the
publisher of the top-selling Yediot Aharonot newspaper.
The
alleged scheme, not believed to have been finalised, would have seen
Netanyahu receive favourable coverage in return for helping curb
Yediot's competitor, the pro-Netanyahu freesheet Israel Hayom.
Netanyahu has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and says he has been the target of a smear campaign by political opponents.
