JERUSALEM – Israeli police questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahulink> and his wife for several hours onFriday over corruption allegations that threaten the rightwing premier’slong tenure.
The questioning, the eighth such session since 2017, came after police lastmonth recommendedNetanyahu link> ‘sindictment in two graft cases.
‘The Prime Minister and his wife were questioned for a number of hours aspart of an investigation,’ a police spokesman said in a statement withoutgiving more details.
Israeli link> media said the five-hourgrilling related to allegationsNetanyahulink> sought a deal with Shaul Elovitch,the controlling shareholder of telecoms group Bezeq, which would have seenNetanyahu link> receive good press onElovitch’s Walla! news website in exchange for business concessions.
Netanyahu link> , 68, has denied allcharges and rejected talk of stepping down. He is due to meet US PresidentDonald Trump, perhaps his closest international ally, at the White House onMonday.
An AFP journalist saw police arriving at Netanyahulink> ‘s official Jerusalem residence intwo vehicles at around 9 am (0700 GMT).
His wife Sara was questioned at the national fraud squad headquarters nearTel Aviv, media said.
Elovitch and Nir Hefetz, a former media adviser to the Netanyahulink>family, were among seven suspectsarrested last week as fraud suspicions against Netanyahulink>snowballed. – Agencies