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Zelekha. Personal motives
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Bar-On. Never happened
Photo: Yoav Galai

Zelekha: Dismissal clouded by personal motives

Knesset's State Control Committee discusses accountant-general's dismissal. Finance minister denies Olmert's involvement, Zelekha says this is PM's fourth attempt to remove him from office

Accountant-General Yaron Zelekha, Finance Minister Ronnie Bar-On and State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss came before the Knesset's State Control Committee Tuesday, to discuss Zelekha's upcoming dismissal.

 

Zelekha, who is the key witness in an ongoing fraud investigation into Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's alleged bribery offenses in the sale of Bank Leumi's controlling stake, told the committee he believed that "since February 2006 the prime minister has tried, directly, indirectly and systematically, to have me fired".

 

Zelekha stated that this was the prime minister's fourth attempt to have him removed from office.

 

Last week, Finance Minister Ronnie Bar-On announced Zelekha's four year term would not be extended.  

 

Yoram Ariav, director-general of the Finance Ministry, asked the committee to put a stop to "all this Zelekha business," adding it was harmful to the Finance Ministry.

 

Finance Minister Ronnie Bar-On vigorously denied Zelekha's claim that Olmert was involved in his dismissal, saying "nothing of the kind ever happened."

 

The decision whether or not to renew the accountant-general's contract, he said, was up to the finance minister alone.

 

Bar-On went on to add that with the exception of one case, none of the accountant-generals who served in the Finance Ministry in the last 18 years had their terms extended.

 

Members of the Knesset's State Control Committee were divided in their reactions: Zahava Gal-On (Meretz) and Shelly Yacimovich (Labor) called on the State comptroller to intervene, while Otniel Schneller (Kadima) said that given the disrespect Zelekha has been showing Olmert, Bar-On should have fired him long ago.

 

Zelekha ended his statement by saying he did not want to stay in office indefinitely, just long enough to finish putting his reforms, meant to fight governmental corruption, in place. He did not reveal whether he intends to seek legal action to stop his dismissal.

 


פרסום ראשון: 09.04.07, 17:17
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