Wife of Israeli prime minister indicted for fraud

A Jerusalem magistrate’s court  has convicted Sara Netanyahu, wife of the Israeli prime minister, for misappropriating state funds.

When she appeared in court on Sunday, the 60-year-old asked the court to approve a plea bargain convicting her of fraud and breach of trust.

According to the original indictment, Sara along with a government employee, fraudulently obtained from the state more than $100,000 for hundreds of meals supplied by restaurants, bypassing regulations that prohibit the practice if a cook is employed at home.

Under the charges in an amended indictment, she would plead guilty to exploiting the mistake of another person and pay a fine along with compensation, but corruption charges against her would be dropped.

In the agreement, a fraud charge was reduced to a lesser offense and she will pay the state 45,000 shekels ($12,490) in reimbursement and a 10,000 shekel ($2,775) fine.

At the hearing, the judge asked Sara if she knew what she admitted at the court.

“Do you understand what you admitted to?” the judge asked.

“Yes, I do,” she replied.

The judge ratified the plea deal, convicting her of the criminal charge of intentionally exploiting another person’s mishandling of state money for her own benefit, after prosecutors dropped the more serious offense of fraud.

The government employee charged along with Sara also reached an agreement with the prosecution and was fined 10,000 shekels.

In explaining the plea agreement to the court, prosecutors cited Sara’s clean record, the “public humiliation” she has suffered as a result of the case and the time that has passed – up to nine years – since the crimes were committed.

While the deal lifts a legal cloud over Sara, it has no direct bearing on the prime minister’s own troubles – three corruption cases in which he has denied wrongdoing.