Israel’s Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit has agreed to hold the pre-indictment hearing for a possible indictment of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges until after the upcoming April 9 national elections.
In addition, Mandelblit has said he will also hold transfer of evidence against the prime minister to his attorneys and to all of the other associated defendants in the case – effectively making it public – until April 10, the day after the public casts its ballots.
The news is a win for Netanyahu, who requested the delay in order to avert any adverse impact on the polls.
The hearing must, however, be scheduled no later than July 10, though it can be held earlier as well.
If the ruling Likud party wins the election again, as it has for the past three terms, Netanyahu will still have a chance to form a new coalition prior to the start of a hearing, as long as Mandelblit schedules it after May 30 – the deadline for forming a new government.