JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s attorney general has dropped his investigation of Israeli Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom.
Shalom in March was accused of sexual offenses committed against a female staff member some 15 years ago; the accusation came shortly after Shalom announced that he would run for the position of Israel’s president. A successor to current President Shimon Peres is expected to be chosen next month, before Peres’ term ends in July.
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein cited the statute of limitations for the crime as one of the reasons for closing the case. The statute of limitations on such cases, in which the complainant was not a minor, is 10 years.
According to the alleged victim, the sexual offenses took place at a Jerusalem hotel where Shalom was staying. She resigned shortly after the incident.
“The event that the complainant described had passed the statute of limitations, and therefore even if it were possible to adequately prove that the crime had been committed, it would not be possible to prosecute it,” Weinstein said Wednesday in a statement.
No other women filed complaints against Shalom, according to reports.
Shalom has been a member of the Knesset since 1992.
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