US senator Bob Menendez and his wife Nadine Menendez, known for their anti-Turkey actions, rejected the accusations of corruption and bribery against them. Menendez was released on $100 thousand bail.
THE HEARING WAS SHORT
Former US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, known for his anti-Turkey actions, and his wife Nadine Menendez appeared before a judge in New York, USA, within the scope of the case filed against them on corruption and bribery charges. During the short hearing, Menendez and his wife denied the corruption and bribery charges against them and claimed that they were not guilty.
TRAVEL ABROAD PROHIBITED
The court released Menendez, who resigned as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after the scandal broke out, on a bail of 100 thousand dollars, and confiscated all of Menendez’s personal passports and banned him from traveling abroad, but allowed him to travel abroad on official duty as a senator.
HIS WIFE WAS RELEASED ON 250 THOUSAND DOLLARS BAIL
The court ordered Menendez to have no contact with other defendants other than his wife and, in the absence of lawyers, to have no contact with Senate staff who know the facts of the case. The court also released Menendez’s wife, Nadine, on $250 thousand bail and banned her from traveling abroad.
Businessmen Jose Uribe, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, who were tried in the same case with Menendez, claimed that they were not guilty in the courts.
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND GOLD BULLIONS WERE FOUND IN HIS HOME
In the indictment prepared against Menendez, it was stated that “he used his political influence to enrich several businessmen from New Jersey and the Egyptian government”, and that Menendez received cash, gold bullion, work compensation, a luxury vehicle and many valuable items as bribes. Menendez, who was accused of putting pressure on an official in the Ministry of Agriculture in order to protect Egyptian-American businessman Wael Hanna and the Egyptian government, was also alleged to have intervened in an investigation into New Jersey businessman Jose Uribe. The indictment alleged that Menendez repeatedly took actions to benefit Egypt. During the search at Menendez’s home, approximately 500 thousand dollars in cash, most of which was hidden in clothes and cabinets, as well as 13 gold bars worth more than 100 thousand dollars were found.
HIS DNA WAS FOUND ON ENVELOPES FULL OF CASH
In his statement on Monday, Menendez claimed that the money in his home was withdrawn from his personal savings accounts over the years and that he kept it ready for emergencies. Saying that the allegations were unfounded, Menendez stated that he was confident that he would be acquitted and that he had no intention of leaving the Senate. But Daibes’ DNA was found on one of the cash-filled envelopes found in Menendez’s home, according to prosecutors.
SALES ARE ON THE AGENDA AGAIN
The allegations against Menendez led to calls for a re-examination of the $235 million in military aid approved by the US Congress to Egypt.
SECOND CORRUPTION CASE AGAINST HIM
While it was recorded as the second corruption case filed against Menendez in the last 10 years, the last case was in 2017, when jurors could not reach a decision and resulted in a mistrial.
HE IS KNOWN FOR HIS ACTIONS AGAINST Türkiye
On the other hand, it was claimed that Menendez, who demanded that the so-called “official recognition of the Armenian genocide” draft resolution be voted on in the General Assembly in 2019, played a role in US President Joe Biden using the phrase “Armenian genocide” for the first time last year. In 2016, Menendez wrote a letter to then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, claiming that Turkey was acting aggressively against Greece and Cyprus, and demanded that sanctions be imposed on Ankara due to its presence in the Eastern Mediterranean. Menendez also maintained his place on the agenda with his opposition to the sale of F-16s to Turkey. (UAV)