TV report: Police will ‘unequivocally’ recommend graft charges against PM

Police have given up on attempts to find and question Australian billionaire James Packer in connection with a corruption probe against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but nevertheless “unequivocally” intend to recommend filing an indictment against him, Channel 2 reported Wednesday.

Channel 2 News said that despite not being able to track down Packer, reported to live a jet-set lifestyle, the police have over 90 testimonies and intend to wrap up their investigation next month into allegations that wealthy associates gave the prime minister and his wife Sara hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of gifts, including expensive cigars, champagne and jewelry.

“They will unequivocally recommend filing an indictment against the prime minister,” the TV said.

Late last year, Channel 10’s Raviv Drucker reported that Packer had lavished the Netanyahus’ son Yair with gifts that included extended stays at luxury hotels in Tel Aviv, New York and Aspen, Colorado, the use of his private jet, and dozens of tickets for concerts by Packer’s former fiancée, Mariah Carey.

The report also said that a lawyer for Packer, Yaakov Weinroth, who is close to the elder Netanyahu and has represented him in the current corruption probe, had unsuccessfully leaned on Interior Minister Aryeh Deri to grant the businessman permanent residency, a rare status for non-Jews in Israel.

Packer, who also bought a home next to Netanyahu in the prosperous coastal community of Caesarea, is reportedly seeking residency status for tax purposes.

Last month, Hebrew media reported that Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan — a key figure in what is known as Case 1,000 — told police he had asked Packer, who is a mutual friend of his and the Netanyahus, to help shoulder the cost of the gifts and that Packer paid a quarter of the costs.

The prime minister has claimed the gifts were “between friends” and that he himself bought most of the cigars with cash given to him by “a rich relative.”

Denying any wrongdoing, he has repeatedly said that nothing will come of either criminal investigation.

Yair Netanyahu also reportedly told police that any gifts from Packer were on the basis of friendship.

Netanyahu is also being investigated in a second graft case — known as case 2000 — alleging that he was involved trying to set up a quid pro quo deal with Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper publisher Arnon Mozes.

Netanyahu and Mozes held several face-to-face conversations in 2014 on an alleged deal under which Yedioth would scale back its critical coverage of the prime minister in return for Netanyahu ensuring legislation that would reduce the impact of Yedioth’s competitor, Sheldon Adelson’s pro-Netanyahu Israel Hayom free daily.