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Olmert's bank ties probed
16/01/2007 23:00 - (SA)
Jerusalem - Israel's chief prosecutor on Tuesday ordered an investigation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert over his alleged role in the privatisation the country's second-largest bank, the justice ministry said.
"The justice ministry confirms that the state prosecutor, Eran Shendar, called on the police to open a criminal investigation into a suspected offence of insider trading in the sale by the state of its majority holding in Bank Leumi," a ministry source told AFP.
The news site of daily newspaper Haaretz said the probe would focus on suspicions that Olmert - when acting finance minister in 2005 - tried to steer the tender for the sale of Bank Leumi toward his friend, real estate baron Frank Lowey.
The bank was eventually sold to another company with no relation to Lowey.
Speaking to reporters in Beijing, where he was on an official visit, Olmert refused to make any comment on the reports.
The prime minister was the subject last year of several corruption investigations involving property deals and appointments, although no formal charges have been filed against him.
The news of the possible probe comes as Olmert's ratings are at their lowest since he officially assumed the premier's chair in May. Last week, an opinion poll showed that his support had dropped to just 14%.
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