Jerusalem, Mar. 2 (PTI/AFP): Israeli police today arrived at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home where media reports said they were to question him for an eighth time over allegations of fraud and bribery.
An AFP journalist saw detectives arriving at Netanyahu’s official Jerusalem residence in two vehicles at around 9 am (local time).
Investigators were at the same time to take a statement from his wife Sara at national fraud squad headquarters near Tel Aviv, media said.
A former Netanyahu aide and a top businessman are both in custody, linked to allegations of suspected fraud by the premier.
Nir Hefetz, a former media adviser to the Netanyahu family, and Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of telecoms group Bezeq, were among seven suspects arrested last week as fraud suspicions against Netanyahu snowballed.
Hefetz is alleged to have acted as a messenger between Netanyahu and Bezeq and Walla! bosses.
He is also suspected of trying to bribe a retired judge to block a probe into the prime minister’s wife, Sara Netanyahu, over alleged misuse of public funds.
Police have now questioned the premier eight times since the beginning of 2017, and last month said there was sufficient evidence to charge him for graft, fraud and breach of trust in two other cases.
In the other case, investigators suspect the premier of trying to reach an agreement with the owner of Yediot Aharonot, a top Israeli daily newspaper, for more favourable coverage.
Israeli media said police would question him on the Bezeq affair for the first time today and would also take from him a statement as a witness in suspected corruption around Israel’s purchase of three submarines from German industrial giant ThyssenKrupp.
Eli Kamir, another former Netanyahu adviser arrested last week, was on Wednesday released from police custody but placed under house arrest.