#corruption trial

By Maayan Lubell

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -The Jerusalem District Court cancelled this week's hearings in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long-running corruption trial, accepting a request the Israeli leader made citing classified diplomatic and security grounds.

A French court on Monday will rule in the trial of far-right leader Marine Le Pen over an alleged fake jobs scam at the EU parliament, a verdict which could ruin her chances of standing for president in 2027. Three-time presidential candidate Le Pen, who scents her best-ever chance to win the French presidency in 2027, has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. But prosecutors in the case, which also targets other top National Rally (RN) officials, have asked the court to issue Le Pen with both a jail sentence and a ban from holding public office. The latter would come into force even if she appeals, disqualifying her from the presidential polls if the court follows the recommendation. With her RN emerging as the single largest party in parliament after the 2024 legislative elections, Le Pen believes she has the momentum to finally take the Elysee in 2027 on the back of public concern over immigration and the cost of living. She was also instrumental in toppling the government of then-prime minister Michel Barnier in a no-confidence vote last year, highlighting her influence. If successful in 2027 she could join a growing number of hard- and far-right leaders around the world ranging from Giorgia Meloni in Italy to Hungary's Viktor Orban.

www.UMMnews.org 01 April 2024; MEMO: Israeli officers and soldiers have admitted that most of the fatalities classified by the army as “terrorists” during its war on the Gaza Strip are actually civilians, a report said Sunday. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz collected testimonies from officers and soldiers who have fought in Gaza during the war, which has been ongoing since Oct. 7, 2023. “The…

The Israeli prime minister says his appearance in court jeopardises his country’s national security at a critical time. Benjamin Netanyahu has become the first sitting Israeli prime minister to appear in court as a criminal defendant, more than four years after his trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust began. The 75-year-old maintains his innocence, arguing that the three separate cases against him are politically motivated. Israel’s longest-serving leader is accused of granting regulatory favours in exchange for positive press coverage and of receiving expensive gifts in return for diplomatic support. If found guilty, he could face years in prison. In a Tel Aviv courtroom on Tuesday, he called the accusations "an ocean of absurdness". Speaking at a press conference the previous evening, Netanyahu described the corruption trial as a “political hunt”, which had “ruined the lives of dozens of people” caught up in it.

Political conversations surrounding former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai have intensified after a senior aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar publicly defended the embattled politician, praising his leadership style while questioning the circumstances surrounding his continued detention. The remarks come as El-Rufai remains on trial over corruption-related allegations filed by the…

...topple his minority coalition government. A Spanish court has ordered the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Begoña Gómez, to stand trial by jury for corruption and banned her from leaving the country, according to a court order released Saturday. Judge Juan Carlos Peinado ordered Gomez to hand in her passport and to appear before the court twice a month until a verdict is reached in the case, the ruling said. Peinado in April formally charged Gomez with embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings and misappropriation of funds. The court has imposed these precautionary measures on Gómez and on Cristina Álvarez, an adviser at the Moncloa Palace. It said "instructions shall be issued to all border posts and civilian and military airports" to ensure Gómez complies with the ban on leaving the country. The third defendant in the case, businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés, is not subject to these restrictions. According to sources close to her, Begoña Gómez will appeal the precautionary measures. One of the measures she intends to challenge is the confiscation of her passport. The ruling comes after a preliminary hearing held this week, at which the accusing parties requested that the defendants be tried by a jury and called for restrictions to prevent any potential flight risk.

...any decision on Netanyahu’s pardon request. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Aisman said overnight they are prepared to hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s defense team on a possible plea deal in his corruption trial. Netanyahu had been scheduled to testify Monday morning, but the court canceled the hearing hours before it was set to begin, citing an “update” from his attorney, Amit Hadad. The attorney general and state attorney issued their response after President Isaac Herzog invited the parties to hold talks aimed at reaching understandings. The move came after ynet first reported that Herzog intended to approach the sides in an effort to mediate, while effectively making clear that a pardon for Netanyahu is not currently on the table.

…years, with hard labor, for allegedly stealing funds intended for the construction of a prison. Constant Mutamba, whose profile in the Democratic Republic of the Congo grew after he proposed the death sentence for officials who stole public money, has found himself on the wrong end of a corruption scandal. A high court in Kinshasa has sentenced the 37-year-old former justice minister to three years of hard labor. He was convicted of embezzling $19.9 million (€18 million) in public funds to finance the construction of a prison in the northern city of Kisangani. Mutamba, who served as justice minister in 2024 and 2025 under President Felix Tshisekedi, resigned over the case in June 2025. Previous hard labor sentences in the DR Congo have been served in prison, but it was unclear if the former minister's case would be an exception. The Court of Cassation in Kinshasa ruled that Mutamba did not follow due process and sought illicit enrichment. Mutamba said he had verbal agreements in place with government authorities, but admitted he had no idea if the contractor assigned to build the prison, Zion Construction, was approved. He also denied spending any of the money. Prosecutors said Mutamba gave the firm $19.9 million he took from a fund paid to the DRC by Uganda as compensation for Congolese victims of fighting between the Ugandan and Rwandan armies during the Second Congo Civil War in the 2000s.