As part of a criminal investigation into suspicions he received illicit gifts from billionaires, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told police investigators that he did no know about expensive champagne bought for his wife Sara Netanyahu, according to Channel 2 news.
Arnon Milchan, the Israeli film producer at the heart of the corruption investigation, had reportedly confirmed to police that he gave gifts worth hundreds of thousands of shekels to Netanyahu and his wife Sara over many years, but said he never expected anything in return.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his wife Sara (C) and their son Yair seen with actress Kate Hudson at an event held at the home of producer Arnon Milchan (right), March 6, 2014. (Avi Ohayon/GPO/Flash90)
According to testimony the prime minister reportedly gave to police, Netanyahu said that “she is an independent woman and I am an independent man,” to explain why he was not aware that Milchan was giving gifts to his wife.
“You can’t expect that I will know everything in these issues,” he said, Channel 2 reports.
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