Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit is expected to announce soon that the probe into the submarine affair will turn into a criminal investigation, Channel 2 News reported on Wednesday.
Israel’s purchase of four naval vessels and three submarines from Germany came under investigation by the Attorney General, following media reports suggesting a conflict of interest in the Prime Minister’s Office.
The report said that Netanyahu’s attorney, David Shimron, also represented the Israeli businessman who represents the German manufacturer of the submarines sold to Israel.
However, according to Wednesday’s report, the investigation does not involve Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at all, and it concerns the suspected alleged payment of bribes to officials in the defense establishment.
The probe has been ongoing for the past few months by the police, which transferred its findings to the Attorney General and state prosecutor.
According to Wednesday’s report, former Navy Commander Eliezer Marom, Shimron and businessman Miki Ganor are expected to be questioned as part of the criminal investigation.
Channel 2 reported recently that the saga does not apply only to events that took place in Israel, but is actually a part of an international bribery probe.