Headline: French Investigative Site Reveals New Details on Affair Between Arnaud Mimran and Benjamin Netanyahu
Subtitle: Phone conversations from prison shed light on alleged financial and personal connections
Years after it initially surfaced, French investigative site “Mediapart” has brought the affair of the connections between French-Jewish billionaire Arnaud Mimran and Benjamin Netanyahu back into the spotlight. Mimran, who is currently serving a 21-year prison sentence in France for various crimes, including the assassination of Sami Swed, his co-conspirator in a VAT fraud case, is accused of having connections with the former Israeli Prime Minister.
According to leaked phone conversations obtained by “Mediapart,” Mimran claimed to have transferred money to Netanyahu in 2001, either as a donation or to his private account. Mimran initially stated that he donated about a million dollars to Netanyahu, but later changed his version and claimed it was only 40 thousand dollars to a public fund. Photographs of Mimran and Netanyahu spending time together on vacation were also published in the press.
In one of the recorded conversations, Mimran mentioned that he facilitated financial support for Netanyahu through Badri Petrakchishvili, a Georgian-Jewish oligarch who passed away in 2008. Mimran claimed that he introduced Petrakchishvili to Netanyahu, stating, “I told Bibi – I found the man who will finance you.” However, no evidence of the alleged payment was presented during the conversation.
“Mediapart” also revealed that Mimran had a history of association with Petrakchishvili and other Russian figures. An old friend of Mimran confirmed these links and stated that they were invited to Russian-owned ships and even played poker with Petrakchishvili. Mimran himself admitted to knowing Petrakchishvili and meeting him at a casino in the Caribbean.
In addition to financial ties, the leaked conversations shed light on Mimran’s claims that he paid for various expenses related to the Netanyahu family, including trips to Miami, Monaco, Saint Tropez, Deauville, and Courchevel. Mimran also mentioned paying for the Netanyahu’s stay at the Plaza Athena Hotel in Paris and listed other gifts he allegedly bought for Netanyahu, such as Panray watches and Colbert-style fish dinners.
Mimran boasted about his influence on Netanyahu, stating that he used their dinners together to strengthen his own business connections. He also claimed that Netanyahu would do anything for cash and that he knew he could ask for anything in return.
The Prime Minister’s Office has refused to comment on the matter, according to “Mediapart.” The revelations from the leaked phone conversations have brought further scrutiny to the alleged relationship between Mimran and Netanyahu, raising questions about the nature of their personal and financial ties.
As the investigation continues, the spotlight remains on the connection between the French-Jewish billionaire and the former Israeli Prime Minister, adding another layer to the already complex web of political scandals in both France and Israel.