Sharon's Son Destroyed Bribe Case Tapes

[chickflick]

http://www.reuters.co.il/showstory.php?topic=N2HGEN&storyid=N2SKWIAI

20 April 2004 18:43

JERUSALEM, April 20 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's son told a court on Tuesday he had discarded tapes wanted by prosecutors in a case of alleged bribery that threatens to topple the Israeli leader, his lawyer said.

Israel's attorney general is expected to decide in a few weeks whether to follow the chief prosecutor's recommendation to indict the prime minister. An indictment could force Sharon from office and end his U.S.-backed plan to evacuate the Gaza Strip.

Gilad Sharon testified after prosecutors pressed him to hand over the recordings and documents regarding a failed real estate deal known as the "Greek Island Affair". Both the prime minister and his son have denied wrongdoing.

The younger Sharon said he recorded talks with businessman David Appel, charged with attempted bribery, but later threw the tapes away, his lawyer Micha Fettman told Reuters.

"Today I regret that I don't have them," Fettman quoted him as saying. He said the recordings "would have shown that there is no corruption case here. It is ridiculous to think that someone accepting a bribe would record the proceedings."

*snip*

Prosecutors say Appel hired Gilad Sharon in 1999 and paid him large sums to persuade his father, then foreign minister, to promote real estate deals including a Greek island resort.

The younger Sharon said he discarded the tapes of his conversations with Appel after signing a contract for the deal on the resort -- which was never built.

Sharon's son appeared in court after being threatened with a charge of contempt for failing to hand over the recordings, as ordered by Israel's Supreme Court on March 29.

Fettman said the judge ordered Sharon to make an effort to obtain more of the evidence being sought and delayed a ruling until May 2. Prosecutors were not available for comment.

[kalian]

1. Hmmm....and some were ridiculing Arafat's "millions"....

:eyes:

[newyorican]

2. I thought it was billions...

or some such nonsense. Nary a peep over this...telling.

[dArKeR]

3. Sharon's son destroys tapes

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=3&art_id=vn20040421103709395C973747&set_id=1

[bemildred]

4. A damn shame this exculpatory evidence was destroyed.

Who could have forseen these allegations of corruption about
such an innocent little bit of business activity? No doubt
Gilad is kicking himself mentally for not keeping better records.