Netanyahu lawyer to be charged with money-laundering

OCCUPIED-AL-QUDS: Israel’s attorney general said on Thursday he intends to charge the personal lawyer of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with money-laundering in the state’s purchase of submarines from German firm Thyssenkrupp.

The justice ministry said that charges were also expected against a businessman who represented the firm in Israel and against a former head of the Israeli navy.

Attorney general Avichai Mandelblit last month announced charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust against Netanyahu in three different corruption cases, nicknamed cases 1,000, 2,000 and 4,000.

On Thursday he announced his intention to indict on case 3,000, which involved Germany’s sale of military submarines and other Thyssenkrupp designed vessels for a total sum of around two billion dollars.

The ministry statement announced indictments against Netayahu’s personal lawyer David Shimron, Thyssenkrupp’s local agent Michael Ganor and former head of the navy Eliezer Marom, among others.

The Israeli police announced in November 2018 it had enough evidence to charge a number of suspects, including Shimron, who is also Netanyahu’s cousin. The premier had been questioned over the case but no charges were brought.