Netanyahu donor convicted in France over vast tax scam

A French court convicts and jails a tycoon over a 283 million-euro carbon tax scam after a trial in which he testified he made unrelated campaign donations to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Arnaud Mimran is sentenced to eight years and a 1 million-euro fine for the 2008-2009 fraud, which resulted in a major tax shortfall for French authorities.

The Paris court give prison terms ranging from one to eight years for 10 other defendants, who are all convicted of aggravated fraud and money-laundering. One person is acquitted.

Half are tried in absentia and are believed to be in Israel.

Netanyahu’s office denies any campaign payments, saying that Mimran lawfully contributed in 2001 to a fund used while Netanyahu held no office. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit is investigating.

— AP