Netanyahu faces new graft allegations for ‘unreported’ funds

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing new allegations of corruption for campaign funds that went “unreported” in 2007.

According to a Channel 10 TV report picked up by other media, police raided the offices of an advertising agency last week after being tipped off that a Netanyahu campaign against former PM Ehud Barak nearly 10 years ago when he retook the Labor leadership may have been privately funded to the tune of $25,000 — and went unreported to the authorities.

The negative campaign against Barak was meant to hurt him politically wit the Arab community by emphasizing his role in the October 2000 riots in which 13 Israeli-Arabs were killed by police, Haaretz reported.

A number of people have been summoned by police for questioning, according to the report. The ad agency is not under investigation.

The police probe into the source of the campaign funds in unrelated to another corruption investigation into the PM’s and his family’s actions, the details of which are under a partial gag order.

Last month, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit said he had ordered an initial probe into suspicions of money laundering involving the prime minister and an unnamed senior Justice Ministry official, among others.

Late last month, Netanyahu’s former chief-of-staff Ari Harow, was released from house arrest after a week under restrictions.

Harow, 43, was detained for questioning at Ben Gurion Airport late last month and questioned for 14 hours in connection with suspected financial violations involving Netanyahu.

Police are also investigating Netanyahu for financial corruption related to three other matters: longstanding allegations of illicit funding for foreign travel; claims that Netanyahu and his family inappropriately used public state funds for food and entertainment; and the accusation that he illegally received a large sum for political campaigning from French billionaire Arnaud Mimran.

Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing in all three affairs.