OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, 4 September 2003 — Gilad Sharon, one of Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon’s sons, was interrogated again by the police yesterday as part of an inquiry into an alleged corruption scandal, Israel’s public radio reported.
Gilad is suspected of having received several millions of dollars from an Israeli businessman to help close a deal on a large tourist venture on a Greek island, the radio said.
He has previously been interrogated by the police in a separate investigation about the illegal financing of one of his father’s electoral campaign by a South African businessman.
He has so far used his “right to remain silent” and refused to provide any financial documentation to the investigating party.
Every Israeli investigated by the police has the right to remain silent to avoid that his answers be used against him.
The Tel Aviv tribunal in northern Israel has criticized the rule early last month, deeming that Gilad was in fact seeking to protect his relatives and entourage.
Sharon brushed off the corruption allegations at a press conference last January, saying they were “scornful libel” while he refrained from answering several questions.
The police also interrogated Sharon’s second son, Omri, who is also an MP for his father’s right-wing Likud party, at length Monday after refusing to respond to their questions for months on end.
The Sharon family’s dismissive behavior has been widely criticized by the Israeli media and the left-wing opposition. It has also negatively affected Ariel Sharon’s popularity ratings.
A poll published on Friday showed that 53 percent of the respondents were dissatisfied with their premier’s performance compared with 43 percent who expressed an opposite opinion.
By contrast, last June 60 percent of Israelis said Sharon’s was doing a good job against 38 percent who said he was not.
