Israel's Attorney General decides to indict PM Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges: Reports

Israel’s attorney general has decided to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a series of corruption charges, according to Israeli media.

Avichai Mandelblit said to AP that he has accepted the police recommendations to file charges against Netanyahu in three different cases, pending a final hearing. In a Justice Ministry statement, Mandelblit says he plans to charge Netanyahu with bribery for promoting regulatory changes worth hundreds of millions of dollars to telecom giant Bezeq in return for positive press coverage in Bezeq’s popular subsidiary news site Walla.

The report adds that Netanyahu is also charged with fraud and breach of trust in two other cases. The first involves accepting gifts from billionaire friends and the second revolves around alleged offers of advantageous legislation for a major newspaper in return for favorable coverage.

PM Netanyahu, on the other hand, denies any wrongdoing. He called a press conference for Thursday evening.

Israel is awaiting the attorney general’s decision on whether to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a series of corruption allegations.

Avichai Mandelblit is expected to announce his decision on Thursday, after more than two years of intense investigations and deliberations.

An indictment would mark the first time in Israeli history that a sitting prime minister has been charged.