Police continue the investigation against MK (Labor) Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, who allegedly accepted bribes and failed to report sizable sums of income to tax authorities. Ben-Eliezer recently was compelled to drop out of the presidential race amid mounting allegations of illegal activities.

A second businessman was questioned by police, not Avraham Nanikashvili, explaining he gave the minister large sums of money in return for Ben-Eliezer using his close relationship with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to assist him in advancing business dealings in Cairo. The real estate developer told police he deposited hundreds of thousands of shekels into the MK’s bank account in addition to money that he used to buy a home. In return the real estate developer wanted a visa to Egypt and assistance in advancing business interests. Channel 2 News reported the money was given to the MK in 2011-2012.

Ben-Eliezer was questioned earlier this week by police of the 433 unit for a fourth time in connection to dealings with Avraham Nanikashvili, who allegedly gave him $350,000 towards the purchase of a Jaffa penthouse. That home is valued at 9 million shekels.

The FBI questioned Ben-Eliezer’s son Yariv, who the MK says is the owner of the $600,000 found in his safety deposit box in Jerusalem. Ben-Eliezer explains his son has been in the USA for decades and has become a very successful in his real estate dealings and the money belongs to him. Police in Israel have found contradictions in the testimony between the MK in Israel and his son’s statements to the FBI in the USA. It is likely that Ben-Eliezer will be questioned again in Israel.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)