MK Binyamin (Fouad) Ben-Eliezer was questioned again today at the Israel Police National Fraud Unit, on suspicion of receiving hundreds of thousands of shekels illegally.
Ben-Eliezer, who dropped out of the presidential race after investigations of allegations against him began and he was questioned under caution, is suspected of accepting hundreds of thousands of shekels illegally from businessman Avraham Nanikashvili. Nanikashvili is among the controlling shareholders of the oil and gas exploration company Shemen Industries Ltd. (TASE;SHMN) (11%), and in the real estate company Financial Levers Ltd. (TASE:LVR).
Ben-Eliezer is suspected of using the money he received to buy a luxury penthouse in Jaffa.
Ben-Eliezer is also suspected of filing a false affidavit to the court, and of holding $600,000 dollars of unknown origin in a safety deposit box at Israel Discount Bank (TASE: DSCT) in Jerusalem.
The police are also investigating bank transfers from Nanikashvili to Ben-Eliezer’s son, Yariv.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 11, 2014
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