Last update - 00:00 10/05/2007
Comptroller rebukes NII chief over several conflict of interest cases
By Ruth Sinai, Haaretz Correspondent
The director of the National Insurance Institute (NII), Yigal Ben-Shalom, was apparently involved in several cases of conflict of interests between his post and private activities, State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss said Wednesday.
Ben-Shalom acted contrary to the contract he signed when he was appointed NII director general in 2004, the comptroller said. Ben-Shalom, formerly directorate chair of a company owned by the Jewish Agency (JA), remained in that post for two and a half years, even while he was NII chief, although he was given three months to find a successor, the comptroller found. Ben-Shalom said he wanted to retire but was asked by the JA to wait.
The comptroller found that Ben-Shalom served twice as chairman of the awards committee of a fund-raising foundation devoted to welfare causes. Ben-Shalom said he had agreed to the foundation's request to serve in this capacity as a one-time deed.
The foundation is a "friends of" fund that raises money among Christians in the United States. The niece of the foundation's director, Dvora Ganani, was appointed to a senior post in the NII, dealing with tenders, without the required tender, the comptroller said. This "raises the fear" the woman got the job due to Ganani's acquaintance with Ben-Shalom, the comptroller said.
Ben-Shalom said he passed on the woman's resume to the NII human resources director, who hired her after finding her suitable.
The comptroller said NII's tenders' committee was asked to exempt from tender a list of 11 experts, most of whom Ben-Shalom knew personally. Ben-Shalom said he told the committee it could add or detract experts from the list.
The NII said one of Ben-Shalom's goals was to strengthen the ties between welfare organizations and the NII, and that all his actions were transparent and published.