Olmert corruption probe widened

[MicroBalrog]

Olmert corruption probe widened

Police have widened an investigation into allegations of corruption against Israeli PM Ehud Olmert to also look at whether he may have committed fraud.

A joint statement by police and the justice ministry said he was suspected of seeking "duplicate funding for his trips abroad from public bodies".

Earlier, Mr Olmert was questioned for a third time over allegations stemming from before he became prime minister.

There have been calls for Mr Olmert, who denies any wrongdoing, to resign.

His governing Kadima party is due to hold a leadership election in mid-September.

Earlier, Mr Olmert was interviewed by police for a third time as part of an inquiry attempting to establish whether he dispensed favours in exchange for funds he allegedly received illegally from a US financier, Morris Talansky.



Mr Talansky has testified he gave hundreds of thousands of dollars in envelopes full of cash to Israel's prime minister but said he did not seek or receive any favours in return.

Mr Talansky has said some of the money was used for expensive personal items, and funds intended as loans were never repaid. Mr Olmert has said the funds were used legally for election campaigns.

A statement issued by the police and justice ministry afterwards said Mr Olmert had also been "asked to give his account about suspicions of serious fraud and other offences".

"According to the suspicions, during his tenure as Jerusalem mayor and trade and industry minister, Olmert would seek duplicate funding for his trips abroad from public bodies, including from the state, with each of them requested to fund the same trip," it added.

Mr Olmert was mayor of Jerusalem for 10 years until 2003. He then served as minister of trade and industry for two years before succeeding Ariel Sharon as prime minister.

He has not responded to the latest allegations, but has previously denied all wrongdoing and said he will resign if he is indicted.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/7501281.stm

Published: 2008/07/11 12:22:07 GMT

[LAK]

Hmmm, I wonder what Mr Olmert really did to upset them.

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[MicroBalrog]

You clearly don't read Hebrew.

The media here were in love with Kadima and Ollmert, and openly and consciously covered up a lot of their stuff up until after the election - then the stench started really smelling.

[LAK]

You're right; I don't read hebrew.

The "liberal left" media has done plenty of looking the other way for both Bush administrations, as well as at times giving plenty of airtime to some very negative stuff.

So the medias' apparent "love" of anyone might be shortlived. And I am still wondering what Olmert did to really upset someones. Talk of indictment on high ranking public officials is rare enough; on a national leader it indicates a serious rift somewhere.

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http://searchronpaul.com
http://ussliberty.org/oldindex.html
http://www.gtr5.com
http://ssunitedstates.org

[MicroBalrog]

And I am still wondering what Olmert did to really upset someones. Talk of indictment on high ranking public officials is rare enough; on a national leader it indicates a serious rift somewhere.

Visit Israel. The government here makes Chicago look downright adorable.

[Manedwolf]

Maybe they'll get rid of Mr. Concession and get back in someone who actually wants to keep the country from being handed over bit by bit to the aggressors by kicking ass and taking names when it's needed.

Hezbollah sure had a nice big party with their returned murderer the other day.

[De Selby]

Maybe they'll get rid of Mr. Concession and get back in someone who actually wants to keep the country from being handed over bit by bit to the aggressors by kicking ass and taking names when it's needed.

Hezbollah sure had a nice big party with their returned murderer the other day.

Misters No Concessions who invaded Lebanon in 78, 82, and stayed there until 2000 are the reason Israel is in this mess with Hizbullah.

Olmert tried to be Mr. No Concessions in 2006, and the IDF he used to do it lost the war, plain and simple.  They were incapable of defeating Hizbullah on its own turf.

Samir Quntar isn't a Hizbullah member, and isn't even Muslim....or Lebanese.  The reason Hizbullah went after him is because he is extremely high profile, he was sentenced by an Israeli court to life terms, and releasing him would demonstrate the power of the organization to leverage demands on Israel.

The paradoxical thing about this entire disaster is that while running around saying how the Arabs understand only force, Hizbullah has managed to prove the opposite-that only by having strong arms and dealing military defeat to Israel can you get any concession at all from them.  Take a look at Hamas for a comparison-they have the military effectiveness of an LA street gang, and they get scraps from the table if they're lucky.

[MicroBalrog]

Maybe they'll get rid of Mr. Concession and get back in someone who actually wants to keep the country from being handed over bit by bit to the aggressors by kicking ass and taking names when it's needed.

Manedwolf.

The reason this swap took place was because the population of ISrael, at large wanted it. The media wanted it. There were pictures of the families of the prisoners on the front pages of newspapers on a regular basis. There was even a donation drive for a campaign to promote 'bringing the boys home'. There were giant rallies.

While Ollmert is a horrible, corrupt, incompetent SOB which needs to be thrown out on his bum ASAP, this one is just not really his fault.