The corruption trial of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resumes in Al-Quds (Jerusalem) on Monday.
Netanyahu appeared in the court on Monday morning for the start of the evidentiary phase of his corruption trial, one year and four months after Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust against him.
The evidentiary stage of the trial had been delayed by the court because of the Israeli elections on 23 March.
Netanyahu has been the subject of multiple corruption investigations, including over claims that he received expensive gifts from various businessmen, advanced a law that would benefit one of Israel’s major newspapers, and supported looser regulation of the telecommunication company Bezeq in return for positive coverage. He has denied all the accusations.
The court proceedings are expected to take years to wrap up. If convicted, the 70-year-old politician may face up to 10 years in prison for bribery and up to three years for fraud and breach of trust.
Meanwhile on Monday, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin is holding consultations with various party leaders elected to Israel Parliament, where he will collect recommendations on who the next prime minister should be.
Source: Agencies and Israeli media
