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State Prosecutor Moshe Lador
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Avigdor Lieberman
Photo: Gil Yohanan

Lador: Elections do not affect police investigations

State prosecutor backs National Fraud Unit's decision to proceed with case against Yisrael Beiteinu chair despite nearing elections; says political situation can have no bearing on department's procedures

State Prosecutor Moshe Lador said Monday that the nearing general election cannot play a part in the police's investigative procedures.

 

Lador has been criticized for the police National Fraud Unit's decision to subpoena Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman's daughter and seven of his aides for further questioning, so close to the elections.

 

Lieberman has been the subject of a police investigation for the past few years. He is suspected of fraud, money laundering and breach of trust.

 

"The fact that there is an election coming up should not affect the investigation," said Lador. "If we were to put the probe on hold because of the elections we would have been criticized as well."

 

Lador rejected Lieberman's allegations of political persecution by both the police and the State Prosecutor's Office: "These things are unfounded. I expect the public and the media to have faith in these systems' joint decision to go ahead with the inquiry. How can you even consider that dozens of people decided to concoct a political plot? It never entered my mind."

 

According to the state prosecutor, the current stage of the investigation "is focusing on newfound material." The latter, he added, was only cleared for police review three months ago by the Supreme Court, and National Fraud Unit investigators have been studying it since.

 

Lieberman himself lashed out at the State Prosecutor's Office for what has been called their ill-timed decision, saying "for part of the Israeli establishment I am still 'Ivet the terrible." 

 


פרסום ראשון: 01.26.09, 16:26
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