Olmert: Was he involved?
Photo: Reuters
Appointments made under Olmert examined
Appointments made in Small Business Authority said to be inappropriate, made during tenure of Ehud Olmert as minister for trade and industry; Olmert associate says appointments had no link to Olmert, and 'most were not political'
The State Comptroller will look into appointments made in the Small Business Authority during the period (but not only) when Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert served as the Minister for Trade and Industry.
The State Comptroller's Office said that the examination has not yet been completed, and when it is completed, it will be publicized in a separate report.
The State Comptroller's Office refused to say when the report would be published, and whether it would appear before the March 28 general elections.
Journalist Yoav Yitzhak reported on Sunday that the examination would look at the acts of the Office's Director-General, Raanan Dinur, and Shula Zakan, the individuals who carried out the appointments in an 'inappropriate' manner.
A source at the Prime Minister's Office said that "political appointments are not made at the Trade and Industry Ministry. This is a complaint by employees over appointments in the Small Business Authority. These appointments were appropriate, and in most cases had no political affinity."
Associates of Olmert said in response that the claims were empty. "This is just further nonsense," said a source. Olmert had no connection to the appointments, he added. "This is a conflict of the local committee and nothing more than that," said the source.
