Police revealed Wednesday morning that it is questioning more than 30 suspects, including senior Yisrael Beitenu officials, for alleged fraud, bribery and money laundering.
The announcement of the year-long probe just as the election campaign gets rolling prompted immediate accusations from party leader Avigdor Lieberman that the police are on a “witch-hunt.”
In case anyone forgets, exactly two years ago and just as the previous elections were getting underway, state prosecutors indicted Lieberman for fraud after a police investigations of the party leader that dragged on for more than a decade on different accusations. He was acquitted – after the elections.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu suspended him as Foreign Minister, a post he resumed after the case was closed.
This time around, the police fingered Deputy Minister of the Interior Minister Faina Kirschenbaum from Yisrael Beitenu, an as of yet unnamed ministry director and Stas Misezhnikov, former Yisrael Beiteinu Minister of Tourism.
Kirschenbaum told Israeli media she has been subpoenaed for questioning but had no idea on what. Police raided suspects’ homes Wednesday morning to gather evidence on charges that Yisrael Beitenu officials “plotted to help their own interests for money for their own use.”
They allegedly received large amounts of money through NGOs and used some of the funds as bribes and as personal gifts to others, some of whom were relatives who had been given jobs.
A Yisrael Beitenu party statement said the police allegations have no basis.
The party has not done well in pre-election polls, and the probe, baseless or not, is not going to help it, unless they are proven false before election day.