Will he be tried? Lieberman
Photo: Avi Peretz
AG yet to decide on Lieberman indictment
Third and final stage of hearing on money laundering, witness harassment and breach of trust allegations concludes; attorneys convinced they persuaded Weinstein not prosecute FM
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein said Thursday he has yet to reach a decision on whether to indict Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
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During the third and final part of a hearing he held for Lieberman regarding allegations of money laundering, witness tampering and breach of trust, Weinstein told the FM's attorneys he heard their case "with an open heart" and will decide on the matter in the coming months.
Thursday's discussion focused on the breach of trust and money laundering allegations. According to police, in 1998 Zeev Ben Aryeh, while serving as Israel's ambassador to Belarus, relayed to Lieberman secret details about the ongoing investigation against him, which the envoy had received as part of his official function.
The suspicions were mainly that the FM was receiving millions of shekels in bribes from businessmen and laundered the money through shell companies.
The attorneys told Weinstein and other senior legal officials that the FM's conduct during the affair did not warrant an indictment. They added that if proven true, the allegations should be treated as moral, not criminal offenses.
As for the allegation that Lieberman had badgered a witness, the attorneys said the FM had in fact been in touch with someone who was involved in the affair, but claimed the two never discussed the investigation.
Following the hearing, the attorneys said they believed they had managed to persuade Weinstein that Lieberman should not be put on trial.
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