Bibi-Tours: 'PM received double funding for 2006 US trip'

Channel 10 investigative report shows Netanyahu received double the amount of expenses on a trip meant to advance the establishment of a hospital in Ashdod.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu 311 (R) (photo credit: REUTERS/Charles Dharapak)
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu 311 (R)
(photo credit: REUTERS/Charles Dharapak)
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu received double funding for two separate flights from two organizations, a Channel 10 investigative reported said on Wednesday night.
According to the report, one organization funded Netanyahu's flight and another organization funded the flight of his wife, Sara Netanyahu, even though both invoices were signed under Netanyahu's name.
RELATED:Lindenstrauss decides to probe all MK trips abroadPeres, Likud MKs push for wider probe of all politiciansKnesset legal adviser disqualifies vote on ‘Bibi-tours'Two different organizations were requested to fund the same flight ticket on two different trips.
Three out of four organizations confirmed that they paid for the flight ticket and they they were quoted for the price written on the invoice. The fourth organization declined to present the amount it had paid.
On one of the trips, Netanyahu flew to an event in the United States in September 2006 on behalf of the Ashdod medical center. He reported the event to the Knesset's Ethics Committee, received an approval and printed an invoice for an amount of 8,237 dollars to be paid by the medical center. However, on another invoice for the flight ticket, the Heritage organization was listed as the payer.
Netanyahu reportedly did not receive approval from the Ethics Committee to receive funding for the trip from the Heritage organization.