Channel 2 News reported last night that Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman is set to be indicted, just two months before the Knesset elections on January 22, 2013. Liberman, the chairman of the Yisrael Beitenu party, will reportedly be indicted in the lesser case against him, the case of the former Ambassador to Belarus, Zeev Ben-Arie. No charges will apparently be filed in the main case against him - the shell companies affair.
The Ben-Arie affair began four years ago, during a visit to Minsk by Liberman, when Ben-Arie gave him a letter stating that an investigation was underway against into the propriety of actions of a company. The letter mentioned the company's name and registry number. Ben-Arie testified that Liberman read the letter, and threw it into a toilet. He then threatened Ben-Arie, saying, "No matter how intelligent and educated you are, you can get yourself and us into trouble."
After completing his term, Ben-Arie returned to Israel, and began working at Yisrael Beitenu's political bureau. He asked Liberman to be appointed ambassador to Latvia, and Liberman told him to apply in the tender for the job. Ben-Arie got the job, over the eight other candidates. Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon headed the selection committee. Asked by the Police whether he had spoken with Ayalon on the matter, Liberman said that he could not recall.
At the ministerial committee meeting to approve Ben-Arie's appointment, Liberman did not mention how he had been chosen. Liberman also did not mention this at the cabinet meeting which approved Ben-Arie and 17 other appointments.
There is no evidence of obstruction of procedures by Liberman, but Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein believes that his conduct in general indicated breach of trust.
At a hearing, Liberman's attorneys said that no offense had been committed. The State Prosecutor's Office also says that the case is borderline, but added that it intended to set criteria for the proper conduct of a government minister.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 28, 2012
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