BILLIONAIRE James Packer has reportedly agreed to be questioned by Israeli police in a corruption investigation into allegations Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted lavish gifts from the Australian businessman.
Israeli media report Mr Packer and Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan allegedly gave Mr Netanyahu and his family hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gifts, including cigars, champagne and hotel rooms.
Mr Packer has so far avoided questioning but will be one of the last to testify in the Israeli criminal investigation into Mr Netanyahu, according to a number of local media outlets.
There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the Australian mogul. A spokesperson for Mr Packer has been contacted.
A Chinese court on Monday convicted 19 current and former employees of James Packer’s Australia’s Crown Resorts company on gambling-related charges, handing jail terms to 16 of them, including three Australians.
The defendants pleaded guilty and 16 were given nine and 10-month sentences, which include time served since they were arrested in October, meaning they could be released over the next two months.
They were fined a total of $1.25 million. Three others who were granted bail in November were neither fined nor jailed.
