Israeli PM’s corruption trial postponed because of coronavirus
16 March, 2020
A Jerusalem district court announced on Sunday that it was postponing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criminal trial for just two months due to restrictions due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Netanyahu was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday to handle charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in link with a series of scandals.
But following emergency health measures the federal government enacted restricting the gathering of folks in public areas, the court announced that it was pushing back the hearing until May 24.
Netanyahu is accused of acquiring expensive gifts from wealthy friends and offering to switch favors with powerful media moguls. The long-ruling Israeli leader denies any wrongdoing and says he's the victim of a bad media-orchestrated witch hunt.
Netanyahu’s legal representatives had previously appealed for a delay, saying they needed additional time to review evidence. Nonetheless it was swiftly rejected on ground that the March 17 hearing was a procedural reading of the charges only and the defendant’s response had not been needed.
But after Netanyahu announced a fresh group of coronavirus-related restriction late Saturday, like the barring of gathering a lot more than 10 people, the justice ministry announced circumstances of emergency in the courts as well.
The virus has spread to a lot more than 100 countries and infected a lot more than 150,000 persons worldwide and killed more than 5,700. In Israel, some 200 persons have been infected without casualties yet, as extreme measures seem to be to have tested effective thus far.
Netanyahu’s legal troubles stood at the guts of Israel’s third national election in less than a year. Like elections last April and September, the March 2 vote also ended inconclusively.
Netanyahu’s opponent, Benny Gantz, won't sit with him in government and has been seeking to push for legislation in the incoming parliament that could bar anyone indicted for a crime to be able to lead a government - in effect disqualifying Netanyahu from leading the united states.
However the coronavirus crisis has raised calls for a crisis unity government instead.
Source: the-japan-news.com
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