Israeli Comptroller's report slams Ehud Olmert and more
Micha Lindenstrauss, Israel's state comptroller, has just released a scathing report that reveals more about Ehud Olmert's corruption, and also takes the police and civil service employment practices to task:The annual State Comptroller's Report heaps scathing accusations of corruption on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the Police and Civil Service employment practices.The web of Olmert's corruption is slowly unraveling, and shows that he is one real gangsta.
State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss's report, released Tuesday, outlines how Olmert, who chaired the Israel Land Council as Minister of Industry and Trade in the Sharon regime, became overly involved in the sale of commercial properties at Jaffa Port.
An earlier decision had stipulated that the properties be sold via competitive bidding, but Olmert's involvement reversed that decision, while the rest of the Council was kept in the dark as to the extent of his personal involvement. In the end, negotiations deadlocked as the deal brokered by Olmert proposed a trade which would received only $2.3 million worth of properties for the Jaffa Port property, which was estimated to be worth $13.5 million.
Olmert told the comptroller that he became involved after both the Israel Land Authority director as well as Tel Aviv mayor Ron Huldai approached him. Lindestrauss found, however, that only Huldai approached Olmert, and that his involvement constituted a conflict of interest and should have instead been referred to the Council.
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Labels: Israel
