Ometz: Probe ‘theft’ from Netanyahu’s archive

Attorney-general intends to inform Lieberman sometime this week whether he intends to indict him on corruption charges.

By RON FRIEDMAN, GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman 311 (R) (photo credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman 311 (R)
(photo credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
The accountability watchdog group Ometz filed a complaint with the police on Sunday over the alleged theft several years ago of hundreds of documents from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s private archives.
The documents are suspected of having been stolen from Netanyahu’s Tel Aviv office sometime during his term as opposition leader in 2005-2009. Netanyahu never lodged a police complaint about the theft.
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Ometz learned about the theft from legal reporter Yoav Yitzhak, who wrote that the documents, which include all of Netanyahu’s public and private travel records, were stolen and transferred to Channel 10 investigative reporter Raviv Druker.
Two weeks ago, Druker’s show Hamakor broke a story about Netanyahu’s travel expenses being sponsored by wealthy foreign associates, in the years after his first term as prime minister. Last week, he claimed the prime minister and his wife, Sara, had double-billed for a trip to the US five years ago.
The information presented on the show suggested possible ethical violations and sparked lively political debate, which ended in the state comptroller initiating an investigation into the travel practices of all presidents, ministers, deputy ministers and opposition leaders who served in the last two governments.
Ometz director-general Aryeh Avneri, wrote to the police that since neither Netanyahu nor anyone on his behalf had lodged a complaint, they were requesting to lodge one of their own.
Meanwhile, Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein intends to inform Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman sometime this week whether he intends to indict him on corruption charges, Ma’ariv reported on Sunday.
Lieberman has stated publicly on several occasions that if Weinstein recommends an indictment he will quit his posts as foreign minister and Israel Beiteinu leader, but only after a hearing that might not take place for several months.
He has also insisted repeatedly that he would keep Israel Beiteinu in the coalition.
The party will hold a convention on Wednesday in which it will demand the toppling of the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip.
The attorney-general’s office declined comment.