RAMALLAH, 12 November 2007 — The Israeli police yesterday raided several government offices, public institutions, authorities, and private offices for evidence in three corruption investigations against Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. According to Israeli sources, some 100 investigators from the police’s National Fraud Unit searched the Industry, Trade, and Labor Ministry, the offices of the Israel Land Administration, the Jerusalem Municipality, the Israel Postal Company and a number of law firms.
Israeli Army reported that the simultaneous raid was coordinated so as not to cause further disruptions and in order to collect all relevant material in one day.
Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz ordered police last week to launch an investigation against Olmert into affairs which allegedly took place when Olmert served as trade, industry and labor minister during the Sharon administration.
Suspected violations include providing apparent benefits through the investments center and a series of political appointments, apparently carried out through the Small Businesses Authority. Olmert is also suspected of buying a Jerusalem home from a real estate developer at a substantial discount in return for helping the builder obtain construction permits from Jerusalem authorities.
A third investigation is focusing on the Bank Leumi affair, when Olmert served as the acting finance minister. Police are looking into suspicions that Olmert altered a government tender for the privatization of Bank Leumi to favor a bid by a consortium controlled by his friends, Daniel Abrams and Frank Louise. Israeli police said that “The investigators are searching a number of government and private offices in connection with three ongoing investigations.”
