Former prime minister Ehud Barak partnered with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to invest in an Israeli startup, the Haaretz daily reports.
According to the newspaper, Barak set up a limited partnership in 2015 to invest in Reporty, which later changed its name to Carbyne. Barak is the director of the company, which develops IP systems for emergency services.
The report says Epstein funded a significant portion of Barak’s investment, which was estimated in the millions of shekels, making him a de facto partner in Carbyne.
In a response to Haaretz, Barak did not deny Epstein was an investor.
“Because these are private investments, it is not proper or right that I reveal deals of those who invested,” he says.
Barak, who recently announced his return to politics, has been the subject of attack ads by Prime Minister Netanyahu questioning his relationship with Epstein, who was charged earlier this week with child sex trafficking charges.
The former premier has sought to play down his ties to Epstein.
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