Israeli police questioned Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today for the first time over two political funding scandals that could dent his widespread public support.
Police are investigating two incidents in which the Israeli premier was allegedly bribed by businessmen.
In one case, police are investigating a $1.5 million loan from a South African businessman to Mr Sharon's two sons, used to cover illegal contributions to his 1999 election campaign.
In the second incident, police are looking into a business deal between Mr Sharon's younger son, Gilad, and businessman Mr David Appel.
Mr Appel, a well-known businessman with ties to Mr Sharon's Likud party, apparently paid Mr Gilad Sharon hundreds of thousands of dollars to market a tourism project in Greece which he wanted the Greek authorities to approve, the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretzreported.
In addition, police are probing whether Mr Appel, who is currently under investigation in other corruption allegations, bribed Mr Sharon during the 1999 election campaign and when he was foreign minister in the 1990s, the newspaper reported.
Israel Radio and Haaretzsaid it was expected that Mr Sharon, who will be interrogated at his official residence in Jerusalem, would refer questions to his two sons, Gilad and Omri, as he has done previously. Mr Sharon has promised to co-operate fully with the police investigation.
Political commentators said that while Mr Sharon's image has been tarnished in Israel, he faces no imminent risk of being forced from office as he still enjoys strong public support for his tough approach to a three-year-old Palestinian uprising.
But a recent opinion poll found the majority of Israelis would like him to resign if evidence was found of misconduct.
Mr Sharon's predecessors, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr Ehud Barak,were also the subject of corruption investigations thatultimately failed to yield criminal charges against them.
Agencies