An investigation into last year's Beirut blast is set to resume after a court rejected the last of several lawsuits that had led the probe to be suspended for more than a month.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The investigation into the blast, one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded, has faced pushback from a political system where impunity has become entrenched since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.

Here's what you need to know about the standoff:

What is the judge investigating?

The explosion that was caused by chemicals left at the port for more than six years and which killed more than 215 people, injured thousands and devastated swathes of Beirut.

Judge Tarek Bitar, 47, wants to interrogate several senior politicians and security officials.

High-level security and government officials "foresaw the significant threat to life ... and tacitly accepted the risk of deaths occurring," Human Rights Watch has said.

Bitar's efforts have become a rallying cry for many Lebanese against decades of unchecked corruption and mismanagement.

Whom does the judge want to question?

Some very powerful people.

The most prominent include former finance minister Ali Hassan Khalil, who is the right-hand-man of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and an ally of the Iran-backed Hezbollah, and Major General Abbas Ibrahim, head of Lebanon's General Security.

The judge has also sought to question Hassan Diab, an academic who was prime minister at the time of the blast.

Many of them could face prison time if convicted of negligence or causing deaths, although Lebanon has almost no track record of holding to account people in top positions.

All deny wrongdoing.

How are Bitar's efforts being stymied?

All of the current and former officials Bitar has sought to question as suspects have resisted, arguing they have immunity or that he lacks authority to prosecute them.

This resistance to his actions has played out in the courts, in political life and on the streets.

Suspects have swamped courts with more than two dozen legal cases seeking Bitar's removal over alleged bias and "grave mistakes," leading to several suspensions of the probe.

The ex-ministers say any cases against them should be heard by a special court for presidents and ministers.

That court has never held a single official accountable, and it would pass control of the probe to ruling parties in parliament, likely burying hopes of accountability.

Sectarian sensitivities have been brought into play.

The move against Diab, for example, prompted objections from Sunni Muslim political and religious leaders who said it was an attempt to target the position of prime minister, which is reserved for a Sunni in Lebanon's sectarian political system.

Why does Hezbollah care?

Bitar has not charged any known members of Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim group that has powerful political influence and a heavily armed militia. But the judge's actions, including his attempts to question powerful figures allied to Hezbollah as suspects, have prompted the group to accuse him of bias.

In September, a senior Hezbollah official sent him a message warning that the group would "uproot" him.

Hezbollah and its allies have pushed for Bitar's removal via the executive branch, sparking a row that has paralyzed government.

Together with its allies, Hezbollah called for an anti-Bitar protest in October that escalated into deadly violence.

Hezbollah has accused the United States, which lists the group as a terrorist organization, of meddling in the probe. The US ambassador has denied this.

Hezbollah dismissed accusations made at the time of the blast that it had an arms warehouse at the port and says it had nothing to do with the explosion. Its adversaries have long accused the group of controlling the port – something it also denies.

What's at stake?

Any hope of accountability.

For advocates of reform, the tussle over the probe is part of a wider struggle about the rule of law and bringing to account officials for corruption and bad governance responsible for other catastrophes too, including Lebanon's financial meltdown.

Critics say the elite are using their influence to block any attempt to set a precedent of holding officials to account and want to bury any scrutiny of the port's management, which is a microcosm of the sectarian system which parcels out public resources to serve the interests of major players, not the state.

Beirut's already strained ties with Western governments, whose help could prove vital in lifting Lebanon out of its economic crisis, may suffer further if the probe is torpedoed.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Lebanon's politicians are fighting the probe of the Beirut port blast. Why? appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The trial in Case 4,000 against former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued in the Jerusalem District Court on Monday, with state witness Nir Hefetz, Netanyahu's former media consultant, testifying.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Case 4,000 entails the most serious charges against Netanyahu, including one of bribery. The former PM is accused of allegedly offering Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder in the Bezeq telecom giant, legislative benefits potentially worth millions in exchange for positive coverage for himself and his family on the then-Bezeq-owned Walla news site.

Hefetz was asked about one instance from 2016 in which Walla ran an item about Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, visiting an IDF unit. After the item was published, the Netanyahu's allegedly asked that the images included be edited, a request that was reportedly handed on through Elovitch and his wife.

When asked by the prosecution to characterize the alleged incident, Hefetz called it "unusual."

The prosecutor also asked Hefetz about another instance in which he submitted a press release titled "An event with Sara [Netanyahu] today at Tel Aviv University." Walla CEO Ilan Yeshua reportedly responded "I'm putting it up right away on the homepage and adding a nice video."

The prosecutor asked Hefetz to what extent concern about personal information concerning himself being made public played a role in his decision to turn state's witness.

"There were physical and other pressures that increased to monstrous proportions," Hefetz described.

"There's no doubt that the collected conditions I was living under in the first few weeks [of the case] had an influence. It's like an operation and general anesthetic. You exercise your judgment and do what your lawyer tells you to. I felt weak in the head and in my body. Toward the end of the 15^th day I felt able to think for myself and I started to consider it," Hefetz said.

After returning from recess, Hefetz began testifying in Case 2,000, at the center of which are alleged negotiations between Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth owner Arnon (Noni) Mozes for more flattering coverage of Netanyahu in that newspaper in exchange for him promoting a law that would limit the distribution of Israel Hayom as a free daily.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post On witness stand, former Netanyahu aide describes 'monstrous' pressure appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Attorneys Amit Hadad and Noa Milstein, who are representing Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu in three cases of alleged graft, filed a request on Tuesday with Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit to open a probe to identify the source of leaks about the investigation into the former prime minister.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

"The flood of leaks from the case under discussion is unprecedented and destructive to the management of a fair trial," Netanyahu's attorneys wrote.

"The timing of the leaks creates the strong suspicion that it aimed to influence testimony in an unacceptable manner, and even lead to [witnesses] coordinating their stories," they said.

Hadad and Milstein went on to detail a series of leaks published in various media outlets prior to being presented to the defense team.

Earlier Tuesday, the court voiced criticism of the leaks, with one judge saying, "This is very serious. What will happen later if this is the situation now?"

"We cannot ignore the leaks. We expect the investigative authorities to clarify them and do everything necessary to prevent future leaks," the judges wrote.

The petition to Mendelblit came after Netanyahu made his first appearance in court in over six months as former aide Nir Hefetz prepared to take the stand against him.

Hefetz is a star prosecution witness in the case against Netanyahu, with his close proximity to the Netanyahu during several years in office a key part of the evidence. Hefetz left a long career in journalism in 2009 to work as a spokesman for Netanyahu's government, then in 2014 became the Netanyahu family's spokesman and adviser.

Netanyahu entered the courtroom Tuesday accompanied by a lawyer, his younger son, Avner, and a pair of supporters from his Likud party. The security presence around the building was much smaller than past sessions, when Netanyahu was the prime minister.

His lawyers immediately asked that Tuesday's session be delayed following reports that another witness had come forward with new evidence alleging that Netanyahu's wife, Sara, had accepted an expensive bracelet as a gift from two billionaire friends, Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer.

Netanyahu's lawyers argued that the former prime minister and his wife were caught off-guard by the allegations and had the right to study the evidence before Hefetz took the stand.

After a short recess, the court accepted the request and postponed Hefetz's testimony until next Monday.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Netanyahu's lawyers seek probe of leaks as trial resumes appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

An international organization that monitors and sets guidelines to protect against money laundering and terrorism financing added Turkey, Jordan and Mali to its watch list Thursday.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force's "gray list" calls for increased scrutiny of financial dealings in the three countries, which have agreed to work on the group's recommendations. Being put on the list can scare away investors and creditors, hurting exports, output and consumption. It also can make global banks wary of doing business with a country.

The FATF also announced a new strategy for combatting corruption through shell companies or other anonymous entities. The group said the proposed rules would force countries to set up a registry listing who actually owns a company that must be verified and updated within a month.

"The proposals will close loopholes and regulatory weaknesses that for too long have allowed fake companies to be used as a cover for criminal activity or to hide wealth from tax authorities," FATF President Marcus Pleyer said.

The proposed rules follow the recent release of the "Pandora Papers" by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. That report shed light on the financial dealings of the elite and corrupt and how they have used offshore accounts and tax havens to shield trillions of dollars in assets.

The rules are expected to be adopted at a meeting in February of the FATF, which is made up of 37 member countries, including the United States, and two regional groups, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Commission.

With Turkey, Jordan and Mali added to the watch list and Botswana and Mauritius getting dropped from it, 23 nations are considered to be only partially fulfilling international rules for fighting terrorism financing and money laundering.

Pakistan is one of them. The country has "made good progress," Pleyer said, with four of seven items on its action plan addressed. But the country still has work to do to exit the list, he said.

A Pakistani-based independent think tank, Tabadlab, estimated it has cost the country's economy $38 billion since it was put on the gray list in 2018.

Pleyer said Turkey "needs to show it is effectively tackling complex money laundering cases" and "prioritizing cases of UN-designated terrorist organizations such as [the Islamic State group] and al-Qaida."

The listing is a fresh blow to Turkey, which is already in the midst of an economic crisis. Its currency, the lira, plunged to a record low against the US dollar Thursday after a steep cut in interest rates.

North Korea and Iran remain the only two countries on the FATF's high-risk black list. That designation means international financial transactions with those countries are closely scrutinized, making it expensive and complicated to do business with them. International creditors can also restrict lending to black-listed countries.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Turkey, Jordan, Mali added to global financial watch list appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The Tzohar rabbinical organization has broken its silence and taken a public stance against the Chief Rabbinate and in favor of reforms to Israel's system of kashrut certification.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

In a position paper obtained by Israel Hayom, Tzohar points out a series of problems with how food vendors currently obtain kashrut certificates.

The reform proposed by Religious Services Minister Matan Kahana would form associations that would provide kashrut supervision for businesses, as opposed to the current supervisors, who work for local religious councils and therefore for the Chief Rabbinate.

If Kahana's reform is enacted, the Tzohar kashrut supervision, which is currently in use but forbidden to feature the word "kosher," will be able to supply its services to thousands of businesses.

Haredi MKs have claimed that Tzohar is actually behind the proposed reform.

"The system of kosher certification in its current form has problems that harm government kashrut certification in Israel," the Tzohar paper claims. The paper goes on to note the state comptroller's findings about the problems with the national system, and states that "the reform will save government-provided kosher certification, and allow those who keep kosher to feel more confident about the food they consume."

One of the problems with the current state of kosher certification Tzohar cited was the lack of oversight of the supervisors themselves: "In many of the larger cities, there is no rabbi who has the job, or any rabbinical oversight. The current state of the kashrut system creates a situation in which each local rabbinate sets its own demands and the practices of supervision. This reality does not allow businesses and customers transparency and a clear understanding of the standard of kashrut."

The Tzohar paper went on to note that businesses paid the salaries of kashrut supervisors, which Tzohar says violates Jewish law. In addition, the organization claims that "As the years have passed, the current system of kosher supervision has created a sense of loathing, distance, and lack of trust among the public. Many businesses are forgoing kosher certification, or reaching out to non-halachic groups to replace the rabbinate."

"The root of the problem lies with the structure of kosher certification in Israel, which operates as local monopolies: every city or council rabbi has the exclusive authority to confer kosher status in his jurisdiction, according to standards and practices that he has decided on, with nearly no external oversight," Tzohar claims.

"The monopolies create a lack of unity it terms of Jewish law, a lack of unity in pricing, corruption, nepotism, and a lack of control over the national system that is wrongs business owners. The reform is a golden opportunity to restore the public's faith and build support in the world of kashrut and tradition, while strengthening the Chief Rabbinate," Tzohar wrote.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Tzohar rabbis support reform to Israel's kashrut system appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

On April 4, attorney Liat Ben-Ari, chief prosecutor in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial, gave the prosecution's opening argument at the beginning of the evidentiary stage of the proceedings. Preparations for the argument were covered by bells and whistles by legal affairs reports, some of whom actually betray their roles and serve as mouthpieces for the prosecution. They treated it as if it were King George VI's speech at the start of World War II.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

On the morning of Ben-Ari's opening argument, I published an article that focused on the huge holes in the prosecution's basic thesis that Netanyahu had asked for unusual coverage on the Walla news site in exchange for regulatory benefits for controlling shareowner of Bezeq – which owns Walla – Shaul Elovitch. Supposedly, this was a legal precedent – the first instance of media coverage comprising an element of charges of bribery against a politician.

If you missed it, the word on which the case will survive or fail is "unusual" – whether the tradeoffs between Netanyahu and Elovitch were so unusual as to be criminal enough to be bribery. Amazingly, even before the evidentiary stage of the trial began, it was already known that the prosecution had not troubled itself to create any criteria that would determine a norm, deviation from which would cross into the area of criminality.

The prosecution and its mouthpieces in the media could always release a particularly thick smokescreen: Every time it was proven that Netanyahu had been the subject of hostile coverage on Walla (according to checks by outlets Mida, Globes, and the Seventh Eye), pundits in the studios said "It could have been worse," and that the problem  was "opening the prime minister a door to a 'leading' news site." In other words, "thanks" to the benefits that were supposedly given to Elovitch, Netanyahu had a privilege that was not limited to other politicians.

On Tuesday, during the cross examination of former Walla CEO Ilan Yeshua, it turned out that the prosecution had gone so far as to hide evidence proving the close contact between Yeshua and other prominent politicians, in a way that pulled the rug out from under the thesis that Netanyahu made "unusual requests," and also exposing Yeshua's blatant lie to the court that he had supposedly not intervened in the site content when it came to other politicians.

Correspondence between Yeshua and former Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog – Netanyahu's main rival in the 2015 election – was presented, which showed that Yeshua had gone out of his way to assist Herzog. According to the material, even while he was on vacation in Hawaii, Yeshua instructed Walla's lead editor to post a headline dictated by Herzog against his then-rival in the Labor primaries, Shelly Yachimovich.

Astonishingly, by a "mistake," this correspondence arrived at the defense team only a month ago, during Yeshua's initial questioning. Judges were amazed that such dramatic evidence could have been categorized as "irrelevant" and asked the prosecution if there was any other material that had not been delivered to the defense. The prosecutor in Case 4,000, Yehudit Tirosh, responded, "I don't know how to answer." Incredible.

And that's not all: It turned out that Yeshua had held at least 14 meetings with various politicians (including Moshe Kahlon, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, Dalia Itzik, and others), but not a single meeting with Netanyahu. In other words, the "unusual" request lean toward the other side of the equation – against Netanyahu. Yeshua also confirmed that Elovitch and his wife prevented the publication of negative items about Kahlon, fearing retribution from the former minister.

Another "unusual" issue has to do with publishing tycoon Ilan Shiloah. Yeshua admitted that he had taken care to provide positive coverage of Shiloah because the latter had made hefty ad purchases on the Walla site, and was a friend of Elovitch's son. But Yeshua also had a personal reason to help him out – his son worked for Shiloah, and on Tuesday it turned out that Yeshua and his son had earned $400,000 from the IPO of Shiloh's company. In other words, flattering coverage in exchange for jobs for family and a nice sum of money.

The broader picture is becoming clear. The prosecution prided itself on having set up a battery of 40 attorneys to file the indictment against Netanyahu – but reasonable thinking by a single person would have prevented it from making a mockery of its flagship case, in what could be the most important trial in the history of Israel. The Netanyahu trail is just starting, but even now, when a major witness for the prosecution falls apart on the witness stand, along with the prosecution's basic thesis – the question arises of whether the judges will find the courage to admit that the case before them was stitched together carelessly, and continues to fray.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Case 4,000 falling apart, makes mockery of prosecution   appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Qatar's finance minister is being questioned over alleged abuse of power and misuse of public funds in the energy-rich state after the attorney general ordered him arrested, state-run media reported Thursday.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The detention of Ali Sharif al-Emadi is a rare move that analysts said could herald a larger campaign to increase transparency and root out graft in the sheikhdom.

The Qatar News Agency said the attorney general had ordered al-Emadi detained but did not provide other details about the graft case involving the minister, who has held the post since 2013.

The statement said authorities had launched an investigation into "crimes related to the public sector," but it wasn't clear whether al-Emadi himself was facing any charges. Al-Emadi could not be immediately reached for comment.

Al-Emadi rose to prominence in the Gulf Arab emirate as the current emir ascended the throne and after overseeing the transformation of Qatar National Bank into the largest lender in the Middle East. One of Qatar's most powerful officials, he also serves as chairman of the bank, on the board of Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, and as president of the executive board of long-haul carrier Qatar Airways. According to the Las Vegas-based Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute, the Qatar Investment Authority holds assets of $295 billion.

Without explanation, he recently was replaced as chairman of the Qatar Financial Center, a body that regulates foreign investment firms in the country.

Last year, The Banker magazine, a prominent British-based financial publication, named al-Emadi "best minister" in the Middle East and North Africa, citing his deft navigation of various crises, including the pandemic-induced collapse in demand for oil and natural gas and the yearslong boycott of the state by Gulf Arab neighbors.

Corruption remains rampant in Gulf Arab sheikhdoms flush with petrodollars and the wider Middle East. In its 2020 corruption perceptions index, which surveys economic experts about the perceived level of public sector corruption, corruption watchdog Transparency International listed Qatar among the least corrupt in the region, with a score of 63 out of 100. The scale ranks countries between zero, which is "highly corrupt," and 100, for "very clean."

That authorities made the unusual decision to publicize al-Emadi's detention signals that "the effort is intentionally designed to be an open one that impacts future behavior of ministers, government officials, and members of the private sector," wrote analyst Sofia Meranto at Eurasia Group, a political research and consulting firm. "In terms of the Qatari economy, there will be a shock in the system."

Qatar, a country of 2.8 million people, is preparing to open its doors to 1.5 million soccer fans next year as the host of the 2022 World Cup. The tiny state is overseeing massive national infrastructure projects worth hundreds of billions of dollars for the event. Qatar's bid has been stained by allegations of bribery and concerns over the mistreatment of migrant workers.

Under Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the ruling emir, Qatar recently has sought to boost its international reputation and promote political reforms. In a first, the country announced it will hold elections for its national legislative body, known as the Shura Council, in October.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Qatar finance minister arrested in corruption investigation appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Discussions of Cases 2,000 and 4,000 involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been postponed due to the strict lockdown, Jerusalem District Court judges Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am, and Oded Shaham announced Friday.

Case 2,000 focuses on an illicit deal Netanyahu allegedly tried to strike with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon Mozes under which Yedioth would soften its aggressive anti-Netanyahu stance in return for the prime minister using his influence to curtail the activities of Israel Hayom, Yedioth's chief rival.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Case 4,000 centers around the Bezeq telecommunications corporation and the Walla news website, which Bezeq owns. Netanyahu, who held the communications portfolio until February 2017, is suspected of having offered Bezeq controlling shareholder Shaul Elovitch corporate benefits worth hundreds of millions of shekels in exchange for favorable coverage of him and his family on Walla.

On Thursday, Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut announced that starting on Sunday and until the current lockdown ends, Israel's courts would postpone hearings for traffic, small claims, and local cases. However, judges have the discretion to decide not to  postpone a given hearing. 

Hayut also said that that litigants and lawyers who wished to postpone the date of a hearing for reasons related to the lockdown could submit such requests to the court system, and that all deadlines currently in effect would remain in effect until a decision were made otherwise. 

 Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Court postpones discussion of 2 Netanyahu cases due to lockdown appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit is considering indicting Bezeq, Walla News, and a number of companies form the Eurocom group for their alleged involvement in Case 4,000 against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the State Attorney's Office informed the communications giants on Wednesday.

Pending a hearing, the companies could face charges of offering bribes, money laundering, and faulty reports due to the alleged actions of controlling Bezeq shareholder Shaul Elovitch.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Case 4,000 is considered one of the most serious cases involving Netanyahu and saw the prime minister charged with bribery for allegedly approving, while communications minister, millions of shekels worth of benefits for the Bezeq telecommunications corporation and other companies controlled by Elovitch in exchange for favorable coverage on the Walla

The State Attorney's Office also on Wednesday informed the Yedioth Ahronoth Group that Mendelblit was considering trying the organization under the auspices of Case 2,000, in which Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon "Noni" Mozes are suspected of colluding to limit the activity of Israel Hayom, Yedioth's main competitor, in exchange for positive coverage of Netanyahu in Mozes' paper.

Sources close to Netanyahu responded to Wednesday's decision to indict the communications companies involved in the cases in which he is facing trial by saying, "Mendelblit realized that Case 4,000 is dying and is trying to artificially resuscitate it through a major bluff.

"It's clear to everyone that Mendelblit does not intend to try the corporations, and the only reason for his announcement is an attempt to distract attention from his selective enforcement against the prime minister," the sources said.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Attorney general to go after corporations in Netanyahu cases appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Prosecutors allege Sarkozy offered to secure a plum job in Monaco for judge Gilbert Azibert in return for confidential information about an inquiry into allegations that Sarkozy had accepted illegal payments from the late L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt for his 2007 presidential campaign.

Sarkozy, who led France from 2007-2012 and has remained influential among conservatives, has denied any wrongdoing in all the investigations against him. He and his center-right party Les Republicains say they are politically motivated.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Arriving through a back entrance wearing a dark suit and mask, Sarkozy confirmed his name and occupation as former president and lawyer.

The judges then considered a request by Azibert's lawyer to suspend the trial because his client, who was not in court, was at high risk of contracting COVID-19 given a long-term heart condition.

The judges ordered an independent medical assessment by Thursday before deciding whether to go ahead with the trial by videoconference or to postpone it until after the pandemic.

Investigators had from 2013 been wiretapping conversations between Sarkozy and his lawyer Thierry Herzog as they delved into allegations of Libyan financing in Sarkozy's 2007 campaign.

Prosecutors have said wiretaps showed that Sarkozy and Herzog had on multiple occasions discussed contacting Azibert, a magistrate at the Cour de Cassation, France's top appeals court for criminal cases, and well-informed on the Bettencourt inquiry.

They allege that Sarkozy offered to help Azibert get the Monaco job in return for insider help. Sarkozy told BFM TV this month Azibert never got the job.

Herzog and Azibert are both on trial with Sarkozy, charged with corruption and influence-peddling. They are also accused of "violating professional secrecy". They deny any wrongdoing.

All three face up to 10 years in prison and hefty fines if convicted.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

Next March, Sarkozy is due in court on accusations of violating campaign financing rules during his failed 2012 re-election bid. The so-called "Bygmalion" case centers on accusations that Sarkozy's party worked with a friendly public relations firm to hide the true cost of his campaign.

Prosecutors are still investigating allegations that Libya's late former leader Muammar Gaddafi provided Sarkozy's 2007 campaign with millions of euros shipped to Paris in suitcases – allegations that Sarkozy denies. His main accuser, a French-Lebanese businessman, withdrew his account of events this month.

The post France's Sarkozy appears in court, corruption trial suspended appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.