Two employees suspected of lying in favor of Sara Netanyahu during trial

Police suspect the two were pressured in giving false testimony in a lawsuit filed by former employee Shira Raban against Sara Netanyahu for workplace abuse.

MAY 31, 2020 20:47

Sara Netanyahu in court in the Prepared Food Affair on June 16th, 2019 (photo credit: EMIL SALMAN/POOL) — Sara Netanyahu in court in the Prepared Food Affair on June 16th, 2019

(photo credit: EMIL SALMAN/POOL)

Two employees of the prime minister’s estate are being investigated by the police in suspicion of lying under oath in favor of Sara Netanyahu during their testimony in a lawsuit filed by former employee Shira Raban against her for workplace abuse, Israel Police said in a statement on Sunday.

The prosecutor’s office has sought to delay the trial by a month due to the new development.

Police suspect that there had been pressures placed on the two employees to testify in Netanyahu’s favor during the trial.

A senior employee at the residence has also been interrogated along with the two employees.

The investigation is being conducted with the approval of Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit and the supervision and oversight of the State Attorney’s Office.

Raban, an ultra-Orthodox mother of three, filed the lawsuit almost three years ago. She worked at the residence in September 2017, including 13 days in which she worked closely with Netanyahu. She is suing for NIS 225,000.

In the affidavit that Raban filed to the court through attorney Naomi Landau, she explained Netanyahu’s unrealistic demands for cleanliness, claiming that she was prohibited from eating, relieving herself or taking breaks while working, and was even required to wash her hands in hot water, dry them on separate marked towels for the “maids,” and bring extra clothes to change into several times throughout the day.

Netanyahu was not in attendance during her first court hearing in the trial last October. She claimed her lawyer had told her it was unnecessary of her to show up, despite the fact that as the defendant, she was scheduled to be the first to present evidence.

Last June, Netanyahu was convicted for fraud with aggravated circumstances and breach of public trust in the “Prepared Food Affair,” as part of a plea bargain, forcing her to pay NIS 55,000 in damages, down from the original charge of NIS 359,000.

Under the deal, the prime minister’s wife confessed to the reduced charge of intentionally exploiting another person’s error in the misuse of state funds, in lieu of the original more serious charge of fraud.

The state also reserved the right to sue Netanyahu in civil court for an additional NIS 175,000.

Yonah Jeremy Bob and Tamar Beeri contributed to this report.