In a major event, with general elections just weeks away on 11 Shevat 5773, Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein announced on Thursday afternoon, 29 Kislev 5773 that he plans to move ahead with a criminal indictment on charges of fraud and breach of trust against Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. The decision follows 12 years of investigations against Lieberman, with Weinstein stating the major case against the foreign minister involving obstruction of trust, money laundering and other white collar crimes is being shut once and for all.

Regarding the major case, the major state witness against Lieberman stated that she will not testify against him but is willing to testify on his behalf if called to do so. Other state witnesses have died or since decided they will not testify against the foreign minister. This was the case that occupied investigators for over a decade, the one the state signaled on numerous occasions that would result in a major indictment against Lieberman.

The attorney general’s decision hints at being politically motivated some allies of Lieberman explain, for even if the senior minister acted unethically in seeking to promote Israeli Ambassador to Belarus Ze’ev Ben-Aryeh by failing to report to authorities the latter provided him with information pertaining to an ongoing police investigation against him, Lieberman did not break the law. Lieberman allies feel the attorney general has opted to file this indictment on minor charges because he failed to build the money laundering case despite over a decade long probe.

Lieberman visited Minsk in October 2008, at which time he was an MK. He was tipped off by then Israeli Ambassador Ze’ev Ben-Aryeh, also a friend of his, regarding a contact request by Israel Police to Belarus Police seeking information as the money laundering investigation against Lieberman was continuing in Israel. The ambassador handed Lieberman confidential papers pertaining to the case to assist him and Liberman never reported the meeting or receiving the documents to authorities. Ben-Aryeh pleaded guilty and was convicted in 2012, sentenced to four months community service in the plea bargain agreement.

The breach of trust issue surrounds efforts by Lieberman to assist Ben-Aryeh in being appointment ambassador of Latvia. The appointment went through but Lieberman failed to reveal the rendezvous or his personal connection with the ambassador.

Obviously, the left-wing is calling on Lieberman to step down as he is facing criminal charges, while the right-wing seeks to dismiss the seriousness of the charges, questioning the timing after 12 years, weeks before an election in which the polls show the combine Likud/Yisrael Beitenu list obtaining at least 39 seats. Lieberman supporters insist no one broke any laws and the minister’s actions may not have been pristine, but a far cry from a major criminal case as one might believe by the media circus surrounding Weinstein’s announcement.

Lieberman spoke to the media Thursday morning, telling the press “everything is Gan Eden”, confident that the cases against him would be closed. He stated in the event he is indicted he would step down from his senior cabinet post as well as the party leadership, in line with a ruling of the High Court of Justice.

Meretz Chairwoman MK Zahava Gal-On released a statement ahead of the attorney general’s announcement calling on Lieberman to step down if he faces an indictment. She stated if he fails to do so she will turn to the High Court of Justice for she feels a cabinet minister must live up to a certain rule of conduct.

The Labor and Yesh Atid Parties issued a call for Lieberman to step down following the attorney general’s announcement of an imminent indictment.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)