Police chief: Claims of PM’s ex-custodian worth probing

Police Chief Yohanan Danino said on Sunday that the testimony of financial improprieties at the Prime Minister’s Residence made by a former custodian were solid enough to warrant further investigation.

Danino’s comments came as Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein was set to review the material submitted by disgruntled ex-employee Menny Naftali and then make a decision on whether or not to order a full police investigation that could lead to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, being summoned to give testimony.

“On face value, the matter of Naftali needs to be checked,” Danino said during a police ceremony in which two female officers were promoted to the rank of deputy commissioner, the Hebrew media Walla website reported.

“However, the attorney general should be allowed to review all of the material,” Danino noted.

Weinstein was to convene a meeting with senior officials from the state prosecution to consider the allegations against Netanyahu, as detailed in a report last week by State Comptroller Yosef Shapira and in testimony from the former caretaker of the prime minister’s official residence.

Naftali testified for a marathon 11 hours with the Israel Police overnight Thursday and into the early hours of Friday against Netanyahu after receiving limited immunity from prosecution.

Naftali provided recordings and documents detailing alleged financial abuse by the Netanyahus.

The timing of any such investigation could be politically significant, given that Israel holds general elections on March 17.

A spending report released by the state comptroller last Tuesday detailed lavish spending by Netanyahu and his wife at his official residence in Jerusalem as well as at their private home in Caesarea and alleged possible criminal misdeeds by the two.

Netanyahu’s Likud party has publicly blamed Naftali for much of the excessive spending, claiming it happened during his time as custodian from February 2011 until November 2012. Infuriated, Naftali, who was already involved in legal proceedings against the Netanyahus — in which he was suing for alleged abuse during his employment — returned to the police and offered further testimony.

The spending allegations initially did not seem likely to harm Netanyahu’s chances of winning reelection with polls showing that the affair had little impact on voters’ intentions. But the opening of a  criminal investigation into the Netanyahus’ spending could prove more significant.