Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein on Tuesday requested that the Jerusalem
District Court president order that a panel of three judges hear the breach of
trust and fraud case against Yisrael Beytenu party leader Avigdor
Liberman.
The case, known as the Belarus Ambassador Affair, involves
allegations that Liberman failed to report former Israeli ambassador to Belarus
Ze'ev Ben-Aryeh for leaking information to Liberman regarding a money-laundering
investigation against him as well as helping Ben-Aryeh gain promotions in the
foreign ministry in return.
Liberman denies the allegations.
The
crimes alleged against Liberman are not serious enough to require a three judge
panel as is required for more serious crimes like rape and
murder.
However, Weinstein said that due to the public importance of the
case, which could determine the political fate of the now ex-foreign minister
and possible candidate for prime minister in some future election, the court
should exercise its discretion to order an enlarged panel of three
judges.
In recent corruption cases against former prime minister Ehud
Olmert, one case in Jerusalem had three judges, while one case in Tel Aviv has
had only one judge presiding.