Israeli police to probe alleged Netanyahu submarine scandal

The Israeli justice ministry announced on Wednesday that it had called for an investigation into a contract for three submarines the government made with Germany.

The affair involves allegations of a serious conflict of interest in the purchase of the submarines, as it was revealed that manufacturer ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems was represented in Israel by Davd Shrimron, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's personal attorney, at the same time Netanyahu was pushing for the submarine purchase.

Among the allegations are that Netanyahu purchased the new submarines for the Israeli navy over the objections of his own defence ministry.

"Following new information that has been received today from the police and in view of other developments in the matter ... the attorney-general has ordered an investigation to be carried out by police concerning various aspects of the affair,"  a statement from the justice ministry read.

Shimron, who has denied any wrongdoing, welcomed the probe. "I am absolutely certain ... that objective, expert officials will find, once and for all, that my actions were faultless and that I acted according to the law and in line with conflict-of-interest arrangements," the lawyer said.

Netanyahu's office in turn published a statement expressing its complete faith in Shimron's integrity. 

ThyssenKrupp also said last week it believed there was no misconduct in the purchase.

However, on Wednesday, Israel’s Channel 10 disclosed an email it claimed is proof that Shimron used his close relationship to Netanyahu – the two also being cousins, according to the Guardian – to lobby for the submarine’s manufacturer with at least one defence official – a claim strenuously denied by Shimron.