State comptroller: Katsav hired employees illegally

In a first-of-its-kind report, Micha Lindenstrauss slams presidential misconduct

Yaron Druckman|Published: 01.03.11 , 17:39

Less than a week after former President Moshe Katsav was convicted of rape and a series of sexual offences, the state comptroller published on Monday a scathing report on the former president's conduct during his tenure.

In the report, retired judge Micha Lindenstrauss reveals a series of flaws, including employee appointments without tender, money that has "disappeared" and a foundation established by Katsav that received five times more aid than other foundations.

Katsav and wife at president's residence (Photo: AP)

A small section of the report also criticizes Katsav's deputy Dalia Itzik and Shimon Peres' first year

as president.

Positions that were filled without tender included that of the director of information and Diaspora relations department, deputy supervisor ombudsman, security supervisor at the president's residence, deputy security officer, and others.

The state comptroller exposed similar appointments during Peres' tenure and said "these appointments, as such, were done illegally." Peres' bureau said in response that all flaws found during Katsav's tenure have already been corrected.

The report also revealed that in certain cases the president's residence would pay employees who were absent from work without taking vacation days, in a manner that deviated from the Civil Service Commission's statute.

In 2007, during Katsav's tenure, the president residence's spokesperson was absent for 91 work days, without utilizing her vacation days, but continued to receive a salary.

Similarly, former director general of the president's residence, Moshe Goral, was absent from work for no less than 150 days.

Flaws were also found in the wages of some of the president's residence employees compared to similar or parallel civil service positions.