Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit is defending his predecessor Yehuda Weinstein against claims he dragged his feet investigating allegations of wrongdoings involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s financing for trips abroad.
In a reply to a question from MK Yoel Hasson (Zionist Union), Mandelblit says there’s no basis to the claims Weinstein dragged his feet in investigating the so-called “Bibi Tours” case, in which Netanyahu allegedly received gifts from businessmen and others to pay for trips abroad for him and his wife Sara when he was finance minister last decade.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) confers with Avichai Mandelblit, then still cabinet secretary, during a weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, on December 20, 2015 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Mandelblit said he would look into the allegations after a state comptroller report released earlier this week detailed some of the claims and said they could be criminal, almost five years after the claims first surfaced.
More information left out of the report is also being probed.
Hasson in his letter accused Weinsetin of covering up the case and dragging his feet to protect Netanyahu.
Mandelblit responded that Hasson’s accusation was harsh and that Weinstein did everything according to the letter of the law.
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From the Liveblog of
Thursday, May 26, 2016
