Last update - 00:00 02/01/2007
Accountant-General Zelekha: I am being persecuted, threatened
By Zvi Zrahiya, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
At the State Comptroller Committee meeting on Tuesday, Accountant-General Yaron Zelekha said that he was being "persecuted and threatened."
Zelekha refused to reveal who was threatening him but told the MKs on the committee that the threats are being investigated by the police and that he is certain that the parties involved would be brought to trial.
Zelekha also said that while those in power and their associates are enjoying "one long extravagant meal, the gaps [between the poor and the rich] are widening and poverty rises."
"Corruption leads to demoralization," he added. "It cripples the democratic thinking and the public's faith in that they are the masters of their own fate."
Zelekha also said that "the scare campaign being waged against me and my associates comes from the fact that we have withstood the pressure." He explained that there are certain officials within the public service that are trying to have him ousted, so that they can steal from the public's tax money without obstacle.
"It is my moral and legal duty to divulge their identities to the authorities, and that is what I did. We passed on all information to the relevant authorities immediately," he added, "I am not seeking protection, because I don't need protection. The accountant-general position has been placed in my care, and I will gladly pass it on at the end of my term."
In early December, the accountant-general was stripped of some of his authorities. Among other things, he no longer has the power to prevent the transfer of funds to local authorities.