Police Question Sharon Over Bribery Scandal

Police today arrived at the official residence of the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, to interview him in relation to a bribery scandal.

The scandal has cast a dark cloud over Mr Sharon's future, and could eventually result in him facing criminal charges.

Witnesses described seeing officers arrive at the residence for an expected interview. The Israeli media said that it would be a short interrogation before the state attorney began examining material prior to making a decision about a possible indictment.

The scandal revolves around one of Mr Sharon's friends, real estate developer David Appel. Mr Appel was last month charged with trying to bribe Mr Sharon during the 90s.

Reuters news agency said police sources claimed that the Israeli prime minister, who has denied any wrongdoing, would today be questioned over suspicious real estate deals promoted by the businessman.

Prosecutors have said that Mr Appel hired Mr Sharon's son Gilad in 1999, and paid him significant monies to persuade his father - who, at the time, was foreign minister - to promote real estate deals including a Greek island resort that was never built.

The indictment against Mr Appel, who has denied the charges, did not cite any evidence that Mr Sharon had knowingly accepted political favours.

Under Israeli law, a person can be convicted of accepting a bribe only if criminal intent can be proven, allowing for a case in which a person is charged for giving a bribe but the recipient is not indicted.

Prosecutors have said that, within the next few months, they will decide whether to take the unprecedented step of indicting the prime minister, a move that many commentators believe would force him from office.

The scandal has erupted at the same time as Mr Sharon announced far-reaching plans to remove Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip, provoking a fierce row.

Some politicians and analysts have claimed that he announced the plan to distract attention from the alleged bribery scandal.

He has said that he plans to impose a boundary on the West Bank and remove settlements if a peace deal with the Palestinians cannot be brokered.

Yesterday, Mr Sharon accepted a challenge from opponents in his own party and agreed to put his plan before the people in a referendum.

Gaza resident Zvi Hendel, a politician from the pro-settlement National Union and a deputy minister in Mr Sharon's cabinet, said yesterday: "The depth of the inquiry [into bribery allegations] is the depth of the evacuation."