Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is accused of bribery, embezzlement and fraud.
A Tel Aviv court dealing with the corruption case against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has postponed a hearing scheduled for next week. He did so in view of the fact that Netanyahu will undergo prostate surgery on Sunday, TASR writes, according to a report by the DPA agency.
A new hearing is scheduled for January 6 and subsequently also for the coming days. Netanyahu is accused of fraud, embezzlement and bribery. According to the indictment, the Prime Minister allegedly accepted gifts from wealthy acquaintances worth tens of thousands of dollars in exchange for help with personal and business interests. At the same time, he allegedly enforced favorable regulations for the owners of media companies in exchange for favorable coverage of himself and his family, AP reminds. At the first hearing, which took place on December 10, he rejected the accusations, calling them “absurd”.
The 75-year-old prime minister, who has been in power almost continuously since 2009, is Israel’s longest-serving leader and the country’s first sitting prime minister to stand trial. Netanyahu is expected to testify three times a week for about two months. However, according to the DPA, the court process could last several more years.
The Prime Minister’s Office announced on Saturday that Netanyahu will undergo surgery for an enlarged prostate under general anesthesia. This is not his first medical intervention. At the end of March of this year, Netanyahu underwent an operation on the band, and last summer he had a pacemaker operated on, DPA reminds.
