08:42, April 15, 2011 

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90854/7350979.html

After years of intricate police probes, Israel's Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein announced his intention to file an indictment against the country's foreign minister, pending a hearing, on corruption charges.

Avigdor Lieberman, who heads the hard-line Yisrael Beiteinu party, faces possible indictment for fraud, money laundering, breach of trust and witness harassment.

Local political analysts said that Lieberman would most likely be forced to resign if an indictment were to be filed. It would rattle Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government and perhaps lead to early elections.

However, with a formal indictment long months away, Hebrew University political scientist Avraham Diskin believes that the survival of Netanyahu's government is in no immediate danger.

"Lieberman means what he says. He has no interest at this time to dismantle the government," Diskin told Xinhua on Thursday.

Lieberman late Wednesday denied the allegations leveled at him. Yisrael Beiteinu officials said he is not considering stepping down.

According to the draft indictment, in 2001-2008, while serving terms as both a minister and lawmaker, Lieberman established a working relationship with private businessmen abroad.

These ties were maintained via a host of companies Lieberman had set up, some of them shell companies, in Israel, Cyprus and the British Virgin Islands.

The businessmen had financial interests vested in Israel. Their connection with Lieberman, claims the attorney-general, earned the latter around 3.5 million U.S. dollars, funds which Lieberman allegedly consumed for his private and political needs.

The financial relationship began in 1997, when Lieberman quit his post as director of Netanyahu's bureau. In 2001, following his appointment to infrastructure minister in Ariel Sharon's government, he officially declared to have sold his stake in the companies.

But State Attorney Weinstein believes that Lieberman continued to enjoy funds received from his business associates through shell companies registered by other people, including his daughter, who in 2004 launched ML1, an international consulting firm, and was listed as its main shareholder.

That firm alone is suspected of having laundered 2.5 million U. S. dollars received from unknown sources abroad during the course of three years.

A Justice Ministry statement on Wednesday said that Lieberman and his attorney "actively and methodically worked to conceal this financial activity, while engaging in systematic and continued fraud."

It also accused Lieberman of breach of trust in connection to Israel's former ambassador to Belarus, Ze'ev Ben-Aryeh, who allegedly provided the minister with documents pertaining to the money laundering probe against him.

Addressing Yisrael Beiteinu ministers and activists at a party convention in Jerusalem Wednesday night, Lieberman commented on the attorney-general's announcement, saying, "I have no reason for concern. After 15 years I will finally have the opportunity to prove that I've always acted lawfully."

Netanyahu issued a sympathetic statement in support of Lieberman, expressing his hope that the minister "will prove his innocence."

"I've worked with him for many years. He is a key member of the cabinet and I hope he will continue making his contribution to the public," the statement read.

Money laundering in Israel is an offense punishable by up to 10 years behind bars. Local analysts say that Lieberman may eventually seek a plea bargain: confess to some wrongdoing, pay a fine and resign from parliament in exchange for avoiding a jail term and an option to return to politics in the future.

"Even if an indictment is filed and Lieberman resigns, I don't envision Yisrael Beiteinu splitting from the coalition," said Diskin.

Lieberman's resignation, he asserted, would not necessarily see him fade and become irrelevant.

"Netanyahu will take the foreign affairs portfolio for himself. Lieberman will then continue to unofficially run the party and the ministry from the outside."

Until that happens, the attorney-general is not expected to reach the final decision on whether to indict Lieberman before April 2012, local media estimates.