State comptroller and retired judge Yosef Haim Shapira is expected to release his annual report on Tuesday, including new information on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s travel funding scandal, often referred to as ‘Bibi-Tours’.
The scandal, which revolves around a series of overseas visits during Netanyahu’s tenure as Finance Minister from 2003-2005, includes suspicions of double-billing for trips, acceptance of gifts in a manner barred by law for public servants, and improper use of state flight benefits for private travel.
In May and December of 2015, Shapira transferred to the Attorney General’s Office new evidence which suggests then-Finance Minister Netanyahu may have committed criminal offenses.
The new evidence will not be released on Tuesday as part of the comptroller’s annual report, but the document will include a special chapter dedicated to the scandal.
The report will be the first formal document released by the state comptroller’s office since the scandal was first documented by the comptroller in 2010. A previous report prepared by Shapira’s predecessor was never completed.
While the Justice Ministry said that it was “examining” the case, no formal charges have been levelled nor has any police investigation against the Prime Minister been opened.