THE trial of Israel's former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman on charges of fraud and breach of trust has opened at a Jerusalem court in a case that will decide the former bouncer's political future.
Wearing a dark blue suit and white shirt, Lieberman was silent as he entered the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Sunday and did not speak to waiting reporters.
Lieberman is accused of having promoted an Israeli ambassador who provided him with confidential information about a police investigation into his affairs.
The hearing before a panel of three judges was expected to be brief and focus on procedural issues, with Lieberman expected to plead not guilty.
In mid-December, Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein said he was charging Lieberman with two offences over the promotion of the former envoy to Belarus, Zeev Ben Aryeh, in an incident dating back to 2008 when Lieberman was an MP.
Lieberman immediately resigned his cabinet post but retains his status as an MP, expressing confidence that he will be cleared of all charges and will return to his job as foreign minister.
According to the indictment, Lieberman was allegedly tipped off by Ben Aryeh that police had contacted their counterparts in Belarus for help with an inquiry into his affairs.
He is then suspected of seeking to reward Ben Aryeh with a posting to Latvia.
An outspoken hardliner who has been investigated by police several times since 1996, Lieberman denies the charges, saying he is eager to vindicate himself in court.
Public radio said the next hearing was expected on April 25, followed by three more in quick succession.
Despite his resignation from the foreign ministry, Lieberman remains head of the hardline secular nationalist Yisrael Beitenu, which ran on a joint list with the right-wing Likud of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, narrowly winning last month's election.
The list won 31 seats in the 120-member parliament, and Netanyahu is currently trying to piece together a coalition government.
Lieberman's political future, however, will depend on the outcome of the trial.
Since Lieberman's resignation, Netanyahu has himself served as interim foreign minister but he is reportedly seeking to reinstate his ally once the legal proceedings are over.
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