Police to grill Israeli PM on graft allegations Friday

Israeli police will question Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday over corruption allegations, local media reported on Wednesday.

According to Channel Two, investigators will question Netanyahu on suspicions that he awarded favors to Israel’s telecom company Bezeq Telecom in return for favorable coverage on the company’s news site.

Friday’s session of interrogation will be the last one in this case, the channel said.

Police investigators will be assumed to have gathered sufficient evidence of bribery to recommend an indictment against Netanyahu, it added.

Netanyahu has been the subject of criminal investigations in separate corruption cases. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

In February, Israeli police recommended that Netanyahu be indicted for alleged corruption, saying there was now sufficient evidence to formally charge him in two separate graft cases.

The first case involves Israeli Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan, who was allegedly asked to purchase luxury items for Netanyahu and his wife.

The second relates to an alleged deal -- again for favorable media coverage -- with Arnon Mozes, publisher of Hebrew-language daily Yedioth Ahronoth.