JERUSALEM -- Israel's attorney general on Thursday ordered a criminal investigation of President Ezer Weizman over allegations the president illegally accepted large sums of money from a French textile magnate, the Justice Ministry said.

Weizman has admitted receiving at least $200,000 from multi-millionaire Edouard Sarousi, who has business interests in Israel, between 1988 and 1993. He says, however, the money was a gift from a friend, with no strings attached, and that he was not legally obligated to report it. Weizman was a member of parliament and a cabinet minister at the time.

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In a statement issued on Thursday, the Justice Ministry said the attorney general has ordered a formal criminal inquiry of the president, in cooperation with police and tax authorities.

An aide to Weizman said the president would not resign.

The Justice Ministry said a task force investigating Weizman had presented Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein "findings from the examination showing, among other things, alleged evidence of a relationship of a business nature between Mr. Weizman and a firm linked to Mr. Sarousi between the years 1983 and 1984."

Weizman's attorneys had turned over files of the president's financial records to investigators at the start of the inquiry, which was in initially a probe of his financial affairs. But the Justice Ministry said the alleged business link between Weizman and Sarousi had not been presented.

Weizman has been under pressure to resign since an Israeli journalist first raised questions about the gifts last month. The former fighter pilot turned politician has said previously that he did nothing wrong and has vowed to fight to clear his name.

Weizman's lawyers were told of the decision Wednesday night. "Today the president's lawyers responded that the president asks to be investigated in the same way as any other citizen, without privileges, but for the investigation to be completed with all possible speed," said a statement from the Justice Ministry.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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RELATED SITES:

Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Israel Information Service
Ezer Weizman (Israeli Knesset biography)

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