US billionaire Sheldon Adelson is providing testimony in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu corruption case, Israeli media report Thursday morning.
The casino magnate and his wife, Miriam, have arrived in Israel ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit and stayed for few days after the president left.
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According to the reports, Sheldon and his wife agreed to give testimony in the investigation dubbed Case 2000.
Case 2000 revolves around recordings of Prime Minister and Arnon Mozes influential publisher of Yedioth Aharonoth. The two men were allegedly negotiating an attempt to weaken Israel Hayom newspaper, which owned by Sheldon Adelson and consider to be the main competitor of Yedioth, in exchange for favorable coverage of Netanyahu in Daily Yedioth.
Netanyahu has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, saying, “There will be nothing because there is nothing [to the case].”
Adelson is a Netanyahu best confidant. Police have waited for the Adelsons’ testimony for months. Both agreed to speak with investigators after receiving assurances that they not suspected of any infringement, the reports say.
Leaks of the conversation first reported in January by Channel 2. According to the recording, Netanyahu allegedly told Mozes he would ask Adelson, whom he referred to as “the Gingy” (redhead in Hebrew), permission whether the bill to weaken Israel Hayom for Yedioth would be acceptable to him.
This case is only one out of three cases PN Netanyahu is being investigated over. He is also suspicions that he accepted illegal gifts from wealthy businessmen totaling in the tens of thousands of shekels.
