Police estimate Lieberman investigation soon to close
By Efrat Weiss November 8, 2006
Israel Police will apparently recommend closing the investigation conducted against Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman, reported Ynet Tuesday.
In the coming weeks police are expected to submit the investigation's findings to the State Prosecution; Police Chief Moshe Karadi has recently instructed investigators to speed up the probe, which has been going on for over eight years.
Ynet recently reported that Attorney General Menachem Mazuz asked that the investigation be expedited prior to Lieberman's ministerial appointment.
The investigation is focusing on Lieberman's alleged illegal ties in Russia and suspicions of irregularities in the financing of Israel Our Home's 1999 campaign.
Behind closed doors Mazuz told cabinet that he does not normally leave cases open for such long periods of time, but said he is making an exception in the Lieberman case as investigators are awaiting the transfer of relevant documentation from foreign countries, as was the case in the Martin Schlaff-Cyril Kern-Ariel Sharon affair.
Lieberman's associates have long since complained of what they refer to as 'foot-dragging' in the investigation, which in the past prevented the appointment of the Israel Our Home chairman to the post of internal security minister.
During the establishment of the current government following the elections, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert asked for Mazuz's opinion on Lieberman's possible ministerial appointment; the attorney general responded by saying that Lieberman could not serve as justice or internal security minister or in any other post that would place him in charge of law enforcement authorities, but added that the remaining posts are open to him.
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.