Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit announced Thursday that he has opted not to open a criminal investigation into an alleged murky share deal between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cousin that netted the Israeli leader a hefty return on investments, citing lack of evidence.
Mendelblit's decision caps a months-long probe into the affair, which was also linked to a separate graft case related to a possible conflict of interest involving a $2 billion purchase of German submarines. Netanyahu was not deemed a suspect in that case but his close associates, including his personal attorney and cousin, are expected to be indicted.
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According to Mendelblit's statement, in 2007, Netanyahu bought shares worth $600,000 of a holding company owned by his American cousin Nathan Milikowsky – only to sell them back to his cousin for $4.3 million in 2010 amid a sale of one of the holding company's firms.
