Tel-Chai Nation

That's what Israel's attorney-general is now telling Ehud Olmert:

Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz notified Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday that he planned to indict him on several criminal charges relating to the Rishon Tours affair.

Mazuz told Olmert to expect an indictment on charges of fraudulent receipt of goods under aggravated circumstances, fraud, breach of public trust, false registration in corporate documents and tax evasion.

The prime minister is suspected of having sent bills to more than one non-profit organization for trips that he made abroad to raise money for them. When he spoke on behalf of two or three different non-profit organizations on the same trip, he would charge each of them the full flight fare.

According to the allegations, the extra money went into a special account managed by Rishon Tours, his travel agency, and was used to pay for private trips made by him and his family. Police estimate that he collected $110,000 by this system.

The Jerusalem district attorney notified the prime minister's close aide Shula Zaken that she, too, would be indicted for her alleged involvement in affair.

Prior to the final decision on the matter, Mazuz will hold a hearing during which Olmert's attorneys will have a chance to present factual and legal arguments.

The prime minister released a statement saying, "I was shocked to read details over which I haven't even been interrogated."

Olmert's lawyers said that their client "vehemently rejects the accusations leveled against him in the 'Rishon Tours' case."

They said that the decision to summon the prime minister for a hearing in the case, while other investigations were still ongoing, was "astonishing and unreasonable."

Also Wednesday, Ra'anan Dinur, the director-general of the Prime Minister's Office, was interrogated under caution by the National Fraud Unit over suspicions of fraud and breach of public trust.

The suspicions are tied to Dinur's alleged involvement in political appointments during his term as director-general of the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry, between 2003 and 2006, when Prime Minister Ehud Olmert headed the ministry.

Cabinet Secretary Oved Yehzekel, who served at that time as a senior aide to Olmert was also interrogated in recent days, the National Fraud Unit said.

On the TV news, it was said that, in reaction to this, Olmert nixed a program whose purpose was to help Israel's local economy, which is also in trouble. That's certainly quite a way to show how spiteful he is. I certainly hope he gets jail time when he finally leaves.

Labels: Israel, political corruption