Sharon quizzed on allegations of bribery

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was questioned for more than two hours yesterday by police over allegations that he took a bribe.

The interrogation at the premier’s official residence in Jerusalem was led by the head of the serious-crimes unit, said police spokesman Gil Kleiman.

“The prime minister co-operated fully. This was a summing up interview, meant to fill in the gaps and round out previous interviews,” Mr Kleiman said, adding that no further questioning of Sharon is planned.

Sharon had been questioned about the matter in October.

Last month, property developer David Appel was indicted on charges of bribing Sharon with £375,000. The bulk of the money was allegedly paid to Sharon’s son, Gilad, for marketing services in a tourism development deal in Greece, which failed.

Under Israeli law, a person can be convicted of accepting a bribe only if criminal intent is proven. This allows for a case in which the recipient of a bribe is not indicted.

Appel has said that Sharon, at the time foreign minister, was not involved in the development deal. “He didn’t know about anything that is tied to this, not from me at least,” Appel said.

Israel’s new attorney general, Menachem Mazuz, conducted his first review of the Sharon case this week, and Israel TV reported he is expected to decide in two or three months on whether to indict Sharon.

Many politicians and analysts have linked the bribery scandal to Sharon’s emerging plan for unilateral disengagement from the Palestinians if peace talks fail, including removing some settlements and imposing a boundary on the Palestinians.

Critics claimed his unexpected talk this week about removing Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip was meant to deflect attention from the scandal.

“The depth of the inquiry equals the depth of the evacuation,” said Gaza resident Zvi Hendel, an MP from the pro-settlement National Union and a deputy minister in Sharon’s Cabinet.

Meanwhile, the head of the Palestinian police escaped an assassination bid Thursday when a group of unknown gunmen burst into his headquarters in Gaza City and opened fire, a police statement said.

“The group of outlaws tried to assassinate the head and founder of the Palestinian police General Ghazi al-Jabali in his office in Gaza,” it said.

Eleven policemen and bodyguards were wounded during the attack but Jabali “escaped from this cowardly assassination attempt,” it added.

“This group does not want safety or peace for the people of Palestine.”

Witnesses near the offices in downtown Gaza had earlier reported hearing the sound of gunfire.

“We saw ambulances enter the headquarters and take away injured policeman,” said one witness, who asked not to be identified.

Officials in Gaza City's main Al-Shifa hospital said 11 police officers and civilians had been admitted for treatment, one of whom was described as being in a serious condition.

There was no immediate word on Jabali’s whereabouts after the attempted assassination.