NETANYAHU DENIES WIFE POCKETED FROM RETURNED BOTTLES

JERUSALEM:

Israel's prime Minister Binjamin NEtanyahu
on Friday dismissed as false reports that his
wife Sara had pocketed at least $1,000 worth
of public money by returning empty bottles
to supermarkets.

The reports which were cause ridicule in local
media,come as the head of the right wing Likud
party prepares to seek re-election in a snap
March vote.

In a long Facebook post; Netanyahu hit out "false"
accusations against me and my wife that seek  to
topple the Likud and bring the left to power".

Earlier this week,reports emerged that Sara
Netanyahu had during her husband bands second
term as prime minister collected a vast amount
of empty bottles bought by the premier's office
and returned them to the supermarkets,pocking
the money herself.

Overall years ,the Netanyahus through this practice
 earned at least 4,000 shekels ($1000,885 euros)
of what should have been public money ,the report
said.

But Haaretz also cited a former employee of the
Netanyahus as saying that the figure was in fact
thousands of shekels higher.The matter is being
turned over to Israels attorney general's office
Haaretz said.

Local media were quick to ridicule Sara.
Haaretz  published a cartoon featuring her sitting
in her living room,surrounded by empty bottles
and pointing at a TV showing the latest frontier
flare-up between Israel and Lebanese militant
group Hezbollah.

Pro-Netanyahu freesheet Israel Hayom slammed
the reports as "defarmation"as the country's political
parties prepared for the campaign trail.

The snap vote on March 17 will pit Netanyahu's
Likud and other possible rightwing allies against
a united centre -left front that includes forther
justice minister Tzipi Livni's Hatuah and the
Labor party.   AFP>