Israeli prosecutors recommend indicting PM for bribery

JERUSALEM (AA) – The Israeli State Prosecutor's Office has recommended the indictment of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged bribery in two separate corruption cases, Israeli daily Haaretz reported Wednesday. <br> </p> <p>Netanyahu will also likely be charged for breach of trust in a third corruption probe. <br> </p> <p>According to State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan, once the prosecution team completes its assessment, the attorney-general's office will begin deliberations on whether or not to pursue both cases. <br> </p> <p>“The complex ethical and legal issues that arise from these cases [will be] based on the opinions he will hear in order to make a decision,&quot; Nitzan was quoted as saying. <br> </p> <p>The first case for which the authorities are recommending indictment involves Israeli Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan, who was allegedly asked to purchase luxury items for Netanyahu and his wife. <br> </p> <p>The second involves allegations that Netanyahu intervened with regulators to help telecom firm Bezeq secure a deal worth some 1 billion Israeli shekels in return for favorable coverage on the company’s news site. <br> </p> <p>According to Israeli media reports, the attorney general’s office will issue a final decision on both cases in March of next year. </p> <p>A third case in which Netanyahu faces possible indictment involves an alleged deal — again for favorable media coverage — with Arnon Mozes, publisher of popular Hebrew-language daily Yedioth Ahronoth.<br> </p> <p>The Israeli Prime Minister's Office, for its part, has consistently denied the charges against Netanyahu. <br> </p> <p>“We are certain that an examination of the evidence while ignoring the background noises will prove that there's nothing [to the allegations],&quot; the PM’s office said in a statement.