Netanyahu charged with bribery, breach of trust, fraud

By Anees Barghouthi

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit on Thursday indicted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges which include bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

Netanyahu was charged in three different cases by the Israeli Attorney General.

In the first case known as 1000, which involves Israeli Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan -- who was allegedly asked to purchase luxury items for Netanyahu and his wife -- the Israeli prime minister was charged of breach of public trust and fraud.

In the second case 2000, which relates to a deal for favorable media coverage with Arnon Mozes, publisher of prominent Hebrew-language daily Yedioth Ahronoth, Netanyahu was again charged with breach of public trust and fraud.

In a third case known as 4000, Netanyahu was charged of bribery awarding favors to Israel’s Bezeq Telecom Company in return for favorable coverage on the company’s news website.

The indictment made him the first prime minister in Israeli history to be indicted while still in office.

Mandelblit will now ask the Knesset to waive Netanyahu's immunity, a process which can take 30 days.

* Zehra Nur Duz contributed to this story from Ankara