Netanyahu is Israel's First Sitting PM to Go on Trial
World
Asharq Al-Awsat
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was heading to court Sunday to face corruption charges in the first criminal trial ever against a sitting Israeli leader. He is set to appear at the opening hearing at a Jerusalem district court, after his request to have his lawyers represent him instead was rejected. Netanyahu faces charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in a series of corruption cases stemming from ties to wealthy friends. He is accused of accepting lavish gifts and offering to grant favors to powerful media moguls in exchange for favorable coverage of him and his family. He denies the charges and has lashed out at the media, police, prosecution and courts of forging a conspiracy to oust him, the Associated Press reported. Netanyahu held his first Cabinet meeting with the new government just hours before heading to court. Neither he nor any of his ministers addressed the looming trial. He and his allies have spent months lashing out the country's law enforcement system, and the charges against him have deeply divided the nation. Police were preparing for potential demonstrations in support of and against the prime minister outside the District Court in east Jerusalem Several of Netanyahu’s Likud party ministers, including the newly appointed internal security minister who overseas the police, said they would arrive to back him.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2299791/netanyahu-israels-first-sitting-pm-go-trial
No comments:
Post a Comment