Netanyahus’ lawyer rejects claims of criminal wrongdoing

The lawyer hired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week to defend him and his wife in any potential criminal investigation that could emerge from allegations by an ex-caretaker and by the State Comptroller of abuse of funds at the Prime Minister’s Residence, rejected claims that any criminal offense was committed by either the PM or his wife.

In a letter to Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein, Jacob Weinroth said he met with the Netanyahus to speak to them about the allegations against them and to receive relevant materials, and concluded that there was no basis to any suspicion of criminality.

Weinroth rejected accusations of wrongdoing on the part of Sara Netanyahu, who is said to have pocketed thousands of shekels of bottle refunds for recycling between 2009 and 2013, charging that the law allows the “owner of the bottles or the one gathering them to receive the refunds and there is no doubt that she was the one gathering them.” A sum of NIS 4,000 ($1,017) was returned to the state coffers in 2013 by Sara Netanyahu. “In any case, she is not a state employee,” Weinroth wrote, according to a Channel 2 report which had access to the document.

Regarding accusations that she purchased a set of patio furniture identical to the patio furniture at the official residence, which was subsequently delivered to the Netanyahus’ private residence, Weinroth said the furniture was “purchased with their personal funds and that only two pieces were delivered to the private residence.”

He further claimed that, according to law, Netanyahu is supposed to return the items to the official residence at the end of his term, which has not arrived yet.

Regarding a third alleged scandal involving a scheme to overpay electrician Avi Pachima — an apparent Likud apparatchik — by inviting him to do work on weekends and holidays and a subsequent cover-up, Weinroth said there was no proof the prime minister knew of it or was involved.

These alleged wrongdoings were detailed at length is a State Comptroller’s report published this week, which prompted the attorney general to consider whether to order a police investigation into the allegations of criminal abuse of funds at the Prime Minister’s Residence.

According to a Channel 2 report on Friday, the attorney general may decide on the matter as soon as Sunday.

Weinstein is to convene a meeting with senior officials from the state prosecution to consider the allegations, as detailed in the State Comptroller’s report and in testimony from the former caretaker of the prime minister’s official residence. The disgruntled ex-caretaker, Menny Naftali, testified for a marathon 11 hours with the Israel Police overnight Thursday and into the early hours of Friday against Netanyahu after receiving limited immunity from prosecution.

The allegations amount to suspicions of “low level” criminality, the TV report said. Nonetheless, a formal police investigation of the Netanyahus “appears inescapable… if only to clear away the cloud of suspicion,” Channel 2 reported. “The police are preparing to take testimony,” it reported, “and it is not inconceivable that Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mrs. Netanyahu will be asked to give testimony.”

David Shimron, the Netanyahu family lawyer, said Friday that Naftali was not a credible witness, and added that the State Comptroller’s “minor” report did not contain allegations of criminal behavior. Shimron said the entire scandal was the work of “a very large campaign… by very large forces… designed to bring down” the prime minister. “Why was it so urgent” for the state comptroller to submit his report days before the elections?” Shimron asked in a Channel 2 interview, blaming “the media” and other powerful forces for the campaign against Netanyahu over alleged spending abuses.

The spending report released by State Comptroller Yosef Shapira Tuesday detailed lavish spending by Netanyahu and his wife at his official residence in Jerusalem as well as at their private home in Caesarea and alleged possible criminal misdeeds by the two.

Naftali provided recordings and documents detailing alleged financial abuse by the Netanyahus, but there was “nothing staggering” in his material, according to the Chanel 2 report. The material will be transferred to the state prosecution, and Weinstein will then decide whether to order a police investigation into the Netanyahus’ conduct. The timing of any such decision could be politically significant, given that Israel holds general elections on March 17.

Netanyahu’s Likud party publicly blamed Naftali for much of the excessive spending at the Prime Minister’s Residence and at the Netanyahus’ home in Caesaria that was detailed in the comptroller’s report. Infuriated, Naftali, who was already involved in legal proceedings against the Netanyahus, returned to the police and offered further testimony.

The spending allegations initially did not seem likely to harm Netanyahu’s chances of winning reelection on March 17, with polls showing that the affair had little impact on voters’ intentions. But the opening of a criminal investigation into Netanyahu’s spending could prove more significant.

The Channel 2 report added that the attorney general’s office was examining details beyond what was written in the State Comptroller report, published on Tuesday, on excessive spending by the prime minister and his wife. According to suspicions cited in the TV report, the Netanyahus systematically used state funds to finance private expenses.

Channel 2 and other Hebrew media reports suggested that the granting of immunity to Naftali indicated that the affair was taking on greater significance. Haaretz quoted unnamed Likud sources saying they were “preparing for the possibility” that Netanyahu would be investigated.

Naftali served as caretaker of the Prime Minister’s Residence for nearly two years. He resigned after he wasn’t given the tenure that, he claimed, was promised him.

He has filed suit against the Prime Minister’s Office; the deputy director general of operations at the office, Ezra Saidoff; the prime minister’s wife, Sara Netanyahu; and Netanyahu himself.

Naftali seeks NIS 1.1 million ($286,000) in damages. He also separately sued Netanyahu for libel following an interview where Netanyahu said Naftali had been fired, even though he claims to have resigned.

Naftali recently asked the Jerusalem Labor Court to summon Sara Netanyahu to testify, and she is set to appear at the court after the March 17 elections.

News of Naftali’s immunity deal came after he announced another libel suit against Netanayahu earlier Thursday, this time for a barrage of accusations against him following the publication of the State Comptroller’s report.

The Likud headquarters tried earlier this week to deflect blame for apparent financial impropriety at the Prime Minister’s Residence by blaming Naftali for inflated expenses during the time he served as caretaker.