BICOM

Israeli Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein yesterday informed Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman that he may be indicted on charges of corruption, following a hearing. The potential charges, according to Israeli media reports, include fraud, money laundering and breach of trust. Lieberman has the right for a hearing with AG Weinstein before any indictment is officially submitted. Because of the complexity of the case and the large amount of documents collected by police investigators around the world, the hearing process may not be scheduled for another 5-6 months and several more months will pass until the Attorney General makes a final decision on whether to indict Lieberman. However, if indicted, Lieberman will be forced to leave office.

Lieberman declared his innocence yesterday, and said that he welcomed the chance to prove that he has always acted within the law. In a speech to his party members, Lieberman rejected any suggestions that the legal process against him will affect the stability of the coalition. “We don’t need to amuse ourselves with the idea that this government can be brought down, that it can be replaced with another coalition … this coalition is stable and responsible,” Lieberman said. Israel Beiteinu is the second largest faction in the coalition and a decision to resign would leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu without a parliamentary majority.