Sharon's future in doubt after bribe charge

An Israeli court indicted an Israeli businessman today on charges of bribing Ariel Sharon, further complicating the prime minister’s clouded legal situation.

Analysts said the indictment against property developer David Appel increases the chances that Sharon himself may face charges – a move that would compel him to leave office.

Appel was indicted in the Tel Aviv Magistrates court for giving Sharon hundreds of thousands of pounds to promote an ambitious real-estate project in Greece when he was foreign minister in 1999, and to help rezone urban land near Tel Aviv both before and during his term as prime minister.

The indictment also charged Appel with providing bribes to Vice Premier Ehud Olmert to promote the Greek project when Olmert was mayor of Jerusalem in the late 1990s.

It also charged that Sharon’s son, Gilad, received hundreds of thousands of pounds in consultation fees for the Greek project.

Prosecutors believe that these funds were used to bribe Sharon.

There was no immediate reaction from the prime minister. But the Yediot Ahronotnes paper quoted officials in Sharon’s office as playing down the indictment and projecting a ”business as usual” atmosphere.

In order for Sharon to be charged, prosecutors must be convinced that a bribe was accepted with criminal intent.

But the move added uncertainty to Sharon’s legal problems. Sharon is also being investigated for alleged involvement in illegal campaign financing.

Prosecutors suspect an illegal near €1.4m loan was provided by foreign businessmen during his 1999 primary campaign for Likud Party leadership.

Opposition MPs called on the prime minister to step down.

“The Prime Minister should resign from his post. He should already have resigned in the light of earlier events, what happened today is just an extra. He is polluting the atmosphere,” said Former Finance Minister Avraham Shochat of the Labour Party.

Yediot said that members of Sharon’s Likud Party are preparing for a possible leadership battle.