'Enough evidence to indict Lieberman'

Police tell 'Post': A-G should charge FM for illegal tip-off.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Published: MAY 24, 2010 20:05
avigdor lieberman 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
avigdor lieberman 311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Police on Monday said they have sufficient evidence to recommendAttorney-General Yehuda Weinstein indict Foreign Minister AvigdorLeiberman for breach of trust in connection to suspicions that he was passed classified information by a former Israeli diplomat about an ongoing fraud and embezzlement investigation against him.
Israel Police Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told The JerusalemPost Monday that "with the conclusion of the investigationinto the allegations [against Lieberman] Israel Police have sent ourrecommendation to the attorney-general to pursue a breach of trustindictment against Lieberman and an indictment for obstruction ofjustice and breach of trust against former Israel ambassador to BelarusZe'ev Ben-Aryeh."
RELATED:My Word: Perverse Justice
In the coming days, the police are expected to pass the details of theinvestigation to the economic crimes department of the AttorneyGeneral's office.
The investigation, which was carried out by the 'Lahav 433' NationalInvestigate Unit, dealt with police suspicions that in 2008 Liebermanhad Ben-Aryeh, then the Israeli ambassador to Belarus show himclassified material from a police probe of fraud and embezzlementallegations against him. Ben-Aryeh was in possession of the documentsafter he was given them by the Justice Ministry to transfer to Belarusauthorities. He was supposed to transfer them directly to localauthorities, but police allege that he passed copies of the documentsto Lieberman.
At the time Lieberman allegedly reviewed the documents neither he norany of his associates had been questioned or arrested by police.
Police have already recommended an indictment in the originalcorruption case. In August 2009, police announced that they hadcompiled enough evidence to charge Lieberman for taking bribes,fraudulently receiving goods, obstructing justice, harassing witnesses,and laundering millions of shekels through a number of shell companiesand bank accounts.
Responding to the police announcement, Lieberman's attorney did notexpress alarm, instead comparing Monday's recommendations to similarpolice recommendations in the past which were rejected by then AttorneyGeneral Menahem Mazuz.
At a press conference last month, Lieberman, who was a member ofKnesset during the period in question, called the allegations againsthim "baseless."