Benjamin Netanyahu used Facebook to lash out at Israel’s police force on Thursday after local media reported a police recommendation to indict him on corruption charges was imminent.

The Israeli Prime Minister attacked Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh, who claimed in a television interview earlier this week that detectives examining Mr Netanyahu had themselves been targeted by private investigators “sniffing around”.

Mr Netanyahu is under suspicion over the alleged receipt of expensive gifts from wealthy businesspeople and claims of collusion with newspaper publishers in an attempt to secure more favourable coverage.

Related: The five corruption allegations facing Netanyahu explained

He is also expected to be questioned on the “submarines” investigation, in which a number of senior military officials and political advisors are suspected of having received bribes in return for the purchase of warships for the Israeli Navy from a German shipyard.

He has denied any wrongdoing, and has accused police of conducting “a transparent witch-hunt” and allowing illegal leaks from the investigation.

But police were reported to be on the verge of recommending his indictment.

“There is pressure on people working on these investigations, there are people circling around these investigators, sniffing around in order to collect information about these officers,” Mr Alsheikh told Channel 2 television on Monday.

But AFP reported that a Hebrew language post from Mr Netanyahu’s Facebook account rebutted the claims: “It is shocking to discover that the commissioner has repeated the mistaken and ridiculous suggestion that Prime Minister Netanyahu sent private investigators after the police who are investigating him.”