Fraud squad detectives quiz Sharon
Israeli fraud squad detectives interviewed Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today over allegations of illegal campaign donations during primaries for the leadership of his Likud party.
The police refused to comment on what a spokesman said was an ongoing investigation. An aide to Sharon would neither confirm nor deny that such an interview took place.
Sharon denies any personal involvement in fund-raising for his campaign. Among those already quizzed over the allegations are his son, Omri, and Uri Shani, who on Friday unexpectedly resigned from his post as director of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Attorney-General Elyakim Rubinstein ordered the investigation after the country’s state comptroller published a scathing report listing violations of Israel’s campaign laws, which strictly limit fund-raising from abroad.
Among its findings, the report said Omri Sharon, in charge of campaign financing, raised large sums of money outside Israel through a dummy company as a front.
The Justice Ministry has said it expects a lengthy investigation before Rubinstein decides whether to file indictments against Sharon or his son.
After the comptroller’s report was released last September, Sharon issued a statement saying he had ‘‘complete faith in the justice system and the state comptroller. Any violations were without a doubt unintentional, and will be corrected in full,’’ it said.
