Israeli AG: Foreign Minister may be indicted for corruption

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has been informed he may be indicted for corruption, but will be granted a final hearing before being charged, Israel's attorney general said Wednesday.

Lieberman -- an unapologetic right-wing hardliner who has been perceived as a political threat to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- has been under investigation for more than a year related to business dealings in Israel and his native former Soviet Union.

A statement from the office of Israeli attorney general Yehuda Weinstein Wednesday said Lieberman could be "indicted on charges of fraud, breach of trust, aggravated fraud, money laundering and harassing a witness," the Associated Press reported.

Israeli daily Haaretz reported that Israeli police believe that Lieberman received more than $3 million "in bribes from businessmen including Martin Schlaff and Michael Chernoy. The money was allegedly laundered via a series of shell companies and fictitious bank accounts overseas. The police also recommended indicting Lieberman for breach of trust in the case of Israel's former ambassador to Belarus, Ze'ev Ben Aryeh, who showed Lieberman secret documents from the investigation against Lieberman."

It's not clear when or if Lieberman will depart his cabinet post if charged, or if he can successfully argue against indictment in a pre-charge hearing.

"Don't hold your breath," one Israeli official advised, saying it could be six months or more before Lieberman resigns.

Israel shuts down for the eight-day Passover holiday next week.

(Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman speaks during a joint press conference with Argentina's Foreign Minister Hector Timerman in Jerusalem, Monday, April 4, 2011.: Sebastian Scheiner/AP)