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Cops grill finance minister
20/03/2007 19:22 - (SA)
Jerusalem - Detectives from the Israeli police financial crimes unit questioned the country's finance minister on Tuesday, making him just the latest Israeli leader investigated over allegations ranging from fraud to rape.
Israeli media have reported that finance minister Avraham Hirchson is suspected of not reporting the 2003 embezzlement of around $1m by a staffer who worked for him in a previous position. The Jerusalem Post reported on Tuesday that Hirchson fired the aide, but did not turn him in to the police.
Police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld said Hirchson was questioned for at least six hours, but he would not disclose details of the interrogation.
Israeli police have been grilling some of the highest officials in the land in recent months. Edud Olmert
President Moshe Katsav could be indicted on charges of rape and other serious offences and justice officials have said they want a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's role in the sale of one of Israel's largest banks.
Olmert has repeatedly been accused of corruption throughout his long political career, but has never been convicted. He is also facing allegations involving real estate deals with major contributors. His long time office manager is also under investigation on suspicion she arranged jobs for political allies in the tax authority in exchange for their granting tax breaks to her brother and business associates. Haim Ramon
Also, former justice minister Haim Ramon was forced to resign and later convicted for forcibly kissing a young woman soldier, and a minister-designate, Esterina Tartman, was forced to withdraw her candidacy last month after key parts of her official resume turned out to be false.
Lawmaker and former justice minister Tzachi Hanegbi, who already has a conviction for assaulting Arab students while at university, has been indicted on charges of fraud, bribery and perjury in connection with appointments he made as transport minister.
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