Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife Sara has agreed to plead guilty to a lesser charge and pay a $US15,000 ($21,675) fine to avoid trial on charges of misusing state funds for lavish catering at the couple’s official residence.
The criminal charges stem from Mrs Netanyahu expensing about $97,000 of catered meals to the family’s official residence between 2010-13, despite the fact that they were already employing a private chef at government expense, according to an indictment. The meals, which were as costly as $US7000 each, allegedly included catering for parties from Jerusalem’s finest eateries.
Mrs Netanyahu was charged with fraud and breach of trust, but she has agreed to plead guilty to the lesser charge of exploiting the mistake of another, a Justice Ministry officials said. Authorities didn’t identify the person whose mistake Mrs Netanyahu allegedly exploited.
Both Netanyahus have previously said they were innocent of the charges, calling the investigations politically motivated witch-hunts.
Read the article in The Australian (from the Wall Street Journal).