An Austrian billionaire is suspected of funnelling millions of dollars illegally to Israeli political figures, Israeli Ha'aretz daily claimed Tuesday, According to DPA. The daily said that, according to an investigation by the Israel Police Fraud Squad, Martin Schlaff transferred 4.5 million dollars to the bank accounts of Gilad and Omri Sharon, the sons of former Israeli premier Ariel Sharon. Police are recommending that Schlaff be indicted on bribery charges, and Gilad and Omri Sharon be charged with serving as conduits for a bribe. The paper also said that, according to its own investigation, other Israeli politicians also benefited from Schlaff's largesse. The millionaire donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to help pay defence costs for former interior minister Ariyeh Deeri, who was tried, and ultimately convicted of, bribery. He also donated 50,000 dollars to help Ehud Omert's defence against charges he had been involved in a fictitious invoice scam while serving as treasurer of the Likud Party in 1988. A Schlaff-owned company is also alleged to have transferred over half a million dollars to a company in Cyprus, which police suspect is controlled by Israel Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. A police spokesman could not comment on the allegations, or on the investigation Ha'aretz said was being carried out.
