Bibi-Tours: 'PM doubled billed for two trips abroad'

Channel 10 claims Netanyahu twice billed different organizations for same flight; Netanyahu's lawyer says PM will file libel suit.

By HERB KEINON
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu 311 (R) (photo credit: REUTERS/Charles Dharapak)
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu 311 (R)
(photo credit: REUTERS/Charles Dharapak)
Two weeks after first airing the “Bibi Tours” allegations, Channel 10’s Raviv Druker alleged Wednesday night in another episode of the news-expose show Hamakor that on two occasions before he became prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu billed different organizations for the same flight.
According to the report, in one of the cases, Netanyahu attended a fundraising event in the US in 2006 for the Ashdod Medical Center, billing it $8,237 for the flights. He also allegedly billed the Jewish Heritage Foundation the same amount for flights taken on the same dates.
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If correct, this would contradict statements made last week by Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, that there was no double- billing involved in flights Netanyahu took.
According to Wednesday’s report, one organization funded Netanyahu’s flight and another organization funded his wife’s flight, even though both invoices were signed under Netanyahu’s name.
Netanyahu’s lawyer David Shimron responded by saying that the then-opposition leader acted according to the law during all his trips.
“There was not one agora of double-billing,” Shimron said. “A number of different organizations divided the travel expenses for the prime minister and his wife.
This is an untrue report, with the goal of defaming and harming the prime minister; otherwise it is hard to understand why the channel is determined for the second time to broadcast a report that is not true.”
Shimron said the Netanyahu family will file a libel suit over the report broadcast two weeks ago, as well as the one aired Wednesday night.