Police recommend indictment of Israeli FM on graft charges

JERUSALEM, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Sunday insisted he was the victim of persecution immediately after police recommended indictment of him on graft charges.

File photo taken on April 23, 2009 shows Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman speaking during a press conference in Jerusalem. Israeli police submitted on Sunday a recommendation for the state prosecution to indict Lieberman on charges of bribery, fraud, money laundering, witness harassment and obstruction of justice. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

Israeli police submitted a recommendation for the state prosecution to indict Lieberman on charges of bribery, fraud, money laundering, witness harassment and obstruction of justice, local daily Ha'aretz reported on its website.

A police source said the investigation is "practically over," and the "evidence is sufficient" to support an indictment on the charges, according to the report.

Lieberman released a statement in response to the police announcement, saying that there were no grounds for the indictment and he was the victim of persecution.