Sara Netanyahu named suspect in corruption investigation along with her husband

(JTA) – Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been named a suspect along with her husband in an investigation into alleged corruption.

On Thursday, a police representative to a Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court judge confirmed that Sara Netanyahu is a suspect in the affair known as Case 4000. The prime minister was named a suspect six months ago.

The investigation involves suspicions that the prime minister advanced regulations benefiting Shaul Elovitch, the Bezeq telecommunication giant’s largest shareholder, in exchange for positive coverage from the Bezeq-owned Walla news site.

The Netanyahu family issued a statement dismissing Thursday’s report, The Times of Israel reported.

“We also found a positive article about Kaya the dog on Walla,” the statement to media outlets said, referring to the Netanyahus’ late pet. “Luckily Kaya passed away before they managed to include her in the circle of bribery suspects.

“There is no end to the absurdity, and in any case the coverage of Prime Minister Netanyahu at Walla was and regularly remains negative.”

In March, a television report by Israel’s Channel 10 said that police are in possession of correspondence between Sara Netanyahu and Elovitch’s wife, Iris, including WhatsApp messages relating to the benefits extended to Bezeq and complaints from the prime minister’s wife over Walla’s coverage.

At the hearing, a representative for the State Prosecutor’s Office said the investigation is in its “advanced stages” and is expected to be transferred to prosecutors in the next six months following additional investigatory work.

According to Hadashot TV news, Yair Netanyahu, one of the couple’s two sons, is also a suspect in the case, thought this has not been confirmed by police.