Israeli police questioned the new foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, for the second straight day on Friday over bribery and money laundering, a police spokesman said.

"Lieberman was questioned for five hours under caution today. He will be questioned again in the future," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. Lieberman was questioned for seven hours on Thursday.

Israeli media said Lieberman was suspected of receiving bribes through a consulting firm run by his daughter, Michal.

He has been questioned about the allegations before but not as foreign minister.

An official with Cyprus's Department for Combating Money Laundering confirmed Israeli police had asked for information about Lieberman's financial transactions.

"We have been executing official requests from Israeli authorities and have passed on the information we have gathered," the official said. The official declined to say whether the information related to Cypriot bank accounts belonging to Lieberman's daughter.

"We think inquiries (here) are close to an end."

Lieberman, an ultranationalist who became Israel's top diplomat on Tuesday, has denied any wrongdoing and has called the police investigation into his affairs a smear campaign.

His anti-Arab rhetoric has alarmed Palestinians as well as Arab leaders in the region.


Reuters