Last update - 00:00 22/04/2007
Finance Minister suspends himself over embezzlement allegations
Finance Minister Abraham Hirchson announced Sunday morning to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that he will suspend himself from office for three months due to the investigation being conducted against him over suspicions of embezzlement.
The suspension will begin immediately, and the finance minister position will be filled by Olmert for the time being.
Hirchson's attorney Yaakov Weinroth confirmed his client's suspension in an interview with Army Radio Sunday morning.
Olmert does not intend to dismiss Hirchson from his position, nor is he planning to appoint a replacement. In about a month, former Justice Minister Haim Ramon will complete serving a community service sentence for an indecent act conviction, and will be the leading candidate to replace Hirchson.
The head of the police intelligence and investigations department, Yohanan Danino, and the leading investigator in the Hirchson case, Brigadier General Yoav Segalovitch, met with Attorney General Menachem Mazuz on Sunday and in order to brief him on the developments in the investigation up until now.
The investigators have been compiling evidence in recent weeks in order to indict the minister for embezzling funds from the National Workers' Union, the Leumit health maintenance organization and several related non-profit organizations.
The meeting with Mazuz will mark the third such briefing during the course of the investigation. Hirchson was questioned by police some ten days ago, and is scheduled to be questioned again in the coming days.
The Justice Ministry confirmed that the investigation is currently in an advanced stage and that the police is expected to conclude the investigation and recommend indicting the minister very soon. However, the ministry reported that certain findings may delay the conclusion of the investigation.