Israel police question PM Netanyahu

Israeli police yesterday questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his alleged dealings with the country's largest telecommunication company, Israel Radio said, in one of three corruption cases weighing on the leader's political future.

It was the second time the prime minister had been questioned in the investigation. He is suspected of awarding regulatory favours to Bezeq Telecom Israel in return for favourable coverage on a news site the company's owner controls.

Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing and says he is the victim of a witch hunt.

Israeli media said Netanyahu's wife and son would be questioned separately in the telecoms investigation over their relationship with Bezeq's owner and his spouse.

Video footage showed a police car pulling into the driveway of the prime minister's official residence in Jerusalem. A police spokesman and a lawyer for the Netanyahu family declined comment.

Bezeq has denied wrongdoing. Police have yet to make a recommendation about charges in the case.

Two former Netanyahu confidants have agreed to turn state's witness in the case. One is Shlomo Filber, the former director general of the Communications Ministry,; the other is Nir Hefetz, a former spokesman of Netanyahu.