Police chief: Cops on PM graft probes are being harassed

Senior police investigators conducting corruption investigations into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been the target of harassment, Israel Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich said on Tuesday.

“Senior police officers involved in investigations are being harassed,” Alsheich said at the “Muni-Expo” innovation convention in Tel Aviv. “I do not know who is responsible, but you can interpret this however you want.”

His comments come on the heels of reports on Monday that malicious rumors are being spread about senior investigators linked to the Netanyahu graft investigations.

The prime minister is being investigated in two separate cases. The first pertains to recordings of conversations between him and Israeli media mogul Arnon “Noni” Mozes in which the pair allegedly negotiated an illicit quid pro quo deal that would see .

The second investigation into Netanyahu is probing claims that he and his family received hundreds of thousands of shekels’ worth of luxury gifts from businessmen, including Israeli Hollywood film producer Arnon Milchan.

Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing in either case, and repeatedly said that nothing will come of either criminal investigation.

On Tuesday, sources close to the prime minister rejected Alsheich’s implication that Netanyahu’s allies were intimidating police investigators.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu is cooperating fully with authorities in the investigations and condemns any attempt to exert outside pressure on investigators or police officials by any side,” the sources said, according to Channel 10.

Alsheich said Sunday that both investigations were close to completion, while Channel 2 and Channel 10 both said police are considering an indictment on charges of breach of trust over the expensive gifts allegedly accepted by Netanyahu.

Leaked reports of the police investigation have indicated that Milchan spent some NIS 400,000-600,000 ($100,000-150,000) on champagne and cigars for the Netanyahus over the best part of a decade. The prime minister and his wife have reportedly told police that the sums involved were far lower, and that the gifts were unremarkable since the Milchans are their best friends.

During questioning, Milchan reportedly told police the Netanyahus demanded the champagne and cigars that he has allegedly been supplying them, and that they were not, as they have claimed, merely gifts he gave out of generosity and friendship.

Leaked details of the case also revealed that Netanyahu asked then-US Secretary of State John Kerry three times in 2014 to arrange a long-term visa to allow Milchan, an Israeli citizen, to live in the United States. The visa was granted.

Netanyahu has been questioned under caution by police over a second possible breach of trust affair, dealing with an alleged behind-the-scenes deal he hatched with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Mozes that would guarantee him favorable coverage in Israel’s best-selling newspaper.

In exchange, Netanyahu would work to curtail the circulation of the free daily Israel Hayom, a Yedioth competitor.

On Tuesday, Lahav 433 anti-corruption summoned Mozes for interrogation under caution for the fifth time since the probe was announced earlier this month.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.