Comptroller says Barak's expenses in Paris exaggerated
Scathing report slams conduct of defense minister's convoy to Air Show in France during times of recession, says most expensive hotel chosen, some of rooms booked were not used by anyone
According to the report, the Defense Ministry convoy's hotels were booked too late, leading to a decision to choose a very expensive hotel and book rooms which were eventually not used by anyone. In fact, about one-third of the total expenditure – about NIS 944,000 (about $254,000) – was spent on nothing.
Brigadier-General Mike Herzog, the defense minister's chief of staff, explained at the time that the Intercontinental Hotel was chosen as it was the only one which met the ministry's demands.
The cost of rooms for 13 members of the minister's convoy totaled NIS 116,000 ($31,000). The other 44 people representing the ministry at the Air Show were lodged in a cheaper hotel.
But the "squandering" continued this year, with even higher expenses. The comptroller found that although the Defense Ministry's delegation in Paris knew that Paris' hotels were expected to be fully booked due to the Air Show's 100th anniversary, it only began looking for a suitable hotel for the defense minister and his conduct when it was too late.
According to the delegation, only one hotel meeting the requirements had available hotels at the time. This was again the Intercontinental Hotel, which according to the comptroller dictated "draconian" conditions.
The rooms' prices were significantly high, and there was a demand for a minimum number of nights – six instead of four. In addition, the hotel demanded a confirmation within four days in order to approve the booking, as well as a full payment in case of a cancellation.
Defense Ministry: Events won't recur
The comptroller said that over the years the Defense Ministry allowed its missions to Paris to exceed the lodging limitations set for state employees, without the necessary permission of various executives within the ministry itself.
So what did the taxpayers pay for Barak's overseas stay? According to Lindenstrauss' report, the defense minister's expenditures in 2009 doubled compared to 2008 and nearly quadrupled since 2007.
Lindenstrauss' most prominent example for the spike in expenses was the cost of Barak's own accommodations, going up from NIS 9,500 ($2,560) a night at the Intercontinental Hotel in 2008, to NIS 13,700 ($3,690) a night this year.
Considering the Defense Ministry paid for a six-night stay, but the minister and his staff were in Paris for only four days, the actual cost of Barak's hotel suite was NIS 20,500 ($5,500) a night.
The comptroller further found that the cost of all hotel rooms booked for various defense establishment representatives traveling to Paris this year came to NIS 313,000 ($84,400) – nearly a third of the overall travel costs to the French capital, which came to NIS 944,000 ($254,550).
Lindenstrauss noted that several of the rooms were left unused, since one week prior to the Air Show, several of the people meant to travel with the mission cancelled their participation.
"I view this faulty behavior by public official, which led to great unnecessary expenses, grievously," the comptroller noted in his report.
"There is no justification for spending such large amounts of money on hotels and luxury suites, especially given the financial hardship the country is experiencing. This kind of irresponsible behavior can have a negative affect of the public's trust (in the government)," he concluded.
The Defense Ministry issued the flowing statement in response: "Defense Minister Ehud Barak's travel and accommodation arrangements are made by the proper office within the defense establishment, and he has no direct involvement in such details.
"Once the mission returned from Paris, the defense minister and Defense Ministry Director-General Pinhas Buchris instructed the relevant personnel to take the necessary steps to avoid any reoccurrence of the errors which took place during the hotel reservations.
"Also, a team headed by senior Defense Ministry official Yekutiel Mor was set up to examine the case and form the proper conclusions. The team has recently filed its findings and recommendations regarding the faults found in the comptroller's report."
According to Defense Ministry sources, Barak instructed his personnel to inform him of any case where budgets or guidelines set by the State Service are exceeded.
'Barak unworthy to lead Labor'
Labor Knesset members Ophir Pines-Paz, Amir Peretz, Yuli Tamir, and Eitan Cabel, who have set themselves apart within the party as Barak's opposition, said the report indicated great insensitivity to the public "as shown by excessive staff and extravagant behavior in a time of financial crisis and budget cuts."
A statement by the four further said that they "regretted to learn of the state comptroller's findings regarding the conduct of Labor Chairman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak during the Paris Air Show.
"The excessive expenditures by the Paris mission question the validity of the Defense Ministry's budgetary demands, since apparently the covert nature of security needs is being used to cover up such wastefulness," continued the statement.
"Barak is once again running away from responsibility and leaving his subordinates to face the consequences... He has proven himself once more unworthy of leading the Labor Party."
The four urged Barak to ensure the state funds unnecessarily spent during the trip were recuperated.
Attila Somfalvi contributed to this report
