Tata's name figures in police recommendations seeking Netanyahu's indictment: Israeli media

JERUSALEM: The name of Ratan Tata figures in the Israeli police recommendations seeking to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on graft charges, according to an Israeli media report, which was yesterday dismissed by the Indian industrialist's office as "grossly incorrect" in its references about him.

In the so-called Case 1000, in which Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are suspected of receiving illicit gifts from billionaire benefactors, Israeli-born Hollywood producer Milchan and Australian resort owner James Packer, the Indian Industrialist is also said to be a part of a project that Netanyahu tried to push forward to help Milchan.

"According to the police, the most glaring example of Netanyahu working against Israel's interests to benefit Milchan was his efforts (to) promote a free trade zone on the Israel-Jordan border, a project the Hollywood producer sought to promote as part of his partnership with Indian Industrialist Ratan Naval Tata," Ynetnews reported.

The project, which police noted went against the recommendations of the defence establishment, would have generated Milchan and Tata "a huge profit," but ended up being scrapped because it would've cost the state an unreasonable amount in security expenses, the news portal said.Commenting on the news report, the Indian industrialist's office today told PTI that it's "grossly incorrect in its references about Mr Ratan N Tata".

Last year, the Israeli media reported that Tata "testified" before the Israeli police in connection to these allegation during his trip to Tel Aviv in the end of October-November on the sidelines of a business event.

A statement emailed to PTI by Tata's office did not deny the meeting between him and the Israeli officials. But it said the reports in Israeli media on the contents of the meeting are "factually incorrect and appear to have been motivated".