Ehud Barak’s wife will close her consulting company after allegations that she exploited connections to her husband.
“The company’s work was part of my business activity over the last decades, was completely legal, and I reported everything necessary to the relevant authorities,” Nili Priell-Barak, the Israeli defense minister’s second wife, said in a statement Wednesday announcing her decision to close the company. “Over the last few days I realized this was not enough, and I understood that in outward appearance my business could be used to harm Ehud Barak personally.”
Channel 10 television reported Sunday that Priell-Barak recently formed a company that promises to acquaint international investors with the Jewish state’s “top decision-makers.”
According to the report, Priell-Barak’s clients appear to include at least two foreigners who contributed to her husband’s political campaigns. Such ties could raise graft and bribery suspicions, as Israeli politicians — especially those in top office — are barred from granting favors in return for campaign financing.
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