Israeli PM's son to plead guilty

Omri Sharon ran his father's election campaign in 1999

The son of Israel's prime minister has agreed to plead guilty to providing false testimony and falsifying documents, Israeli prosecutors say.

Omri Sharon was formally charged in August following an investigation into corruption in the funding of his father's Likud party.

The charges relate to Ariel Sharon's 1999 bid to lead Likud and to be its candidate for prime minister.

His father has consistently denied involvement and has not been charged.

Omri and his younger brother Gilad have played an important part in the prime minister's political career, serving as advisers, fund-raisers and secret emissaries.

Correspondents say the admission could embarrass their father and harm his campaign for re-election as both leader of Likud and as Israeli premier.

Mr Sharon's immediate predecessors, Ehud Barak and Binyamin Netanyahu, also faced corruption inquiries.

Omri Sharon's guilty plea will force him to step down as a member of parliament for Likud and could lead to a prison sentence of up to seven years.

Trial postponed

Omri Sharon was indicted in August for setting up fictitious companies to conceal illegal contributions during the 1999 vote for a Likud leader.

OMRI SHARON Age: 41 Ex-paratrooper and member of parliament Single parent with three children Father's personal envoy to Yasser Arafat in 2001

According to Israeli prosecutors he received more than $1.3m in campaign financing from corporations in Israel and overseas between July 1999 and February 2000, significantly more than is allowed by party finance laws.

He is also accused of then putting the funds into a company called Annex Research.

Israeli TV has said the trial scheduled for Tuesday would now be postponed until further notice.

Omri Sharon's status as an MP had barred attorney general Menachem Mazuz's earlier attempts to charge him because he was immune from prosecution.

However, in July Israel's parliament passed a law authorising the prosecution of its members without having to request immunity to be stripped.

In 2001, when Ariel Sharon used his son to open secret talks with the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, the prime minister paid tribute to Omri for transforming his political outlook.

"It took me 70 years to realise that not everything is black and white. I have to admit that is my son's contribution," Mr Sharon told Maariv newspaper.