Israeli PM's wife signs plea deal over meal fraud case

Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-12 15:51:10|Editor: xuxin
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JERUSALEM, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Israeli prime minister's wife Sara Netanyahu signed a plea bargain on Wednesday over allegedly misusing state funds to order gourmet meals, the State Attorney's Office said.

Under the deal, Sara Netanyahu will admit lesser charges and be convicted of receiving something by intentionally exploiting another person's mistake. She will repay 45,000 shekels (12, 573 U.S. dollars) and pay a fine of 10,000 shekels (2,794 dollars), Israel Radio reported.

The deal will be presented before judge on Sunday at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court.

A spokesman for the Netanyahu family was not immediately to comment.

Sara Netanyahu, 60 years old, was originally charged with fraud, aggravated fraud and breach of trust.

According to her original charge sheet, she fraudulently obtaining some 100,000 dollars of public funds for hundreds of meals supplied by well-known restaurants and chefs to the official prime minister's residency in Jerusalem while falsely stating that there were no cooks or staffs at home.

Her lawyers said that she was unaware of the regulations that forbid her to do so and the meals were ordered by an aide to serve visiting officials.

Her trail has drawn public attention to the long trail of criminal investigations and scandals involving the Netanyahus.

The long-time prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is entangled in a series of criminal corruption investigations while he denies any wrongdoing and charges "the investigations are part of witch hunt orchestrated by the leftist media and his political enemies."

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