Israel's foreign minister may face corruption charges: Report

Israel's newly appointed hardliner Foreign Minister Avigdor Liebermanis likely to be charged for fraud, money laundering and breach of trust, a media report said on Sunday.

The investigators probing the corruption case against Lieberman would submit their recommendations on filing an indictment against the controversial politician in the coming weeks, the sources told daily Ha'aretz.

They were collecting more testimony from Lieberman with the intent to charge him with bribery as well, they told the daily.

The hardliner Yisrael Betienu party leader emerged a kingmaker following the recent general elections, riding on a popularity wave builton a tough stand against Israeli Arabs under the slogan, "No Loyalty, No Citizenship", but may see his downfall much too quickly after being appointed the foreign minister.

Lieberman's testimony, the final stage of the police probe, began last week when he was twice grilled for several hours.

The first questioning was held a day after he was sworn in as the foreign minister and lasted some seven hours.

Lieberman will soon undergo one more session before the case is transferred to the State Prosecutor's Office, the report said.

Sources close to the investigation told the daily that as long as Lieberman has not finished giving testimony, a final chargesheet cannot be drawn up.

Investigators from the National Fraud Unit duringa five hourquestioning on Friday at an undisclosed location are said to have presented him with documents outlining computerised financial transactions of firms suspected to be shell companies, providing cover to move money to his bank accounts.

Lieberman was reportedly asked to describe the origins of the money and how much was transferred, as well as the motives for creating the companies and their activities.

An indictment for the foreign minister could lead to political turmoil in Israel as he has stressed that his party would quit the government if he is forced to relinquish his portfolio.