The Justice Ministry announced Wednesday that it will make every effort to complete a criminal probe into Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's involvement in the sale of the controling share in Bank Leumi before the resignation of State Prosecutor Eran Shendar takes effect, so he will decide whether Olmert will be tried.

This will depend, however, on progress in the police investigation.

Shendar took over the case after Attorney General Menachem Mazuz recused himself due to his sister's involvement in the sale. Yemima Mazuz is the Finance Ministry's legal counsel.

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The Justice Ministry rejected charges that Shendar is resigning in order to avoid handling the Olmert case, saying "professional decisions in the ministry are made regardless of the identity of one or another office holder."

In response to Shendar's announcement, Mazuz stated that he "regrets the early retirement, and had tried to dissuade the state attorney, but respects his decision."

The attorney general noted "the close and productive cooperation that characterized their joint term, based on mutual trust and admiration and a relationship of both colleagues and friends, which remained strong even in instances of professional differences."

Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann said he was sorry about Shendar's early retirement and thanked him for his successful performance in a difficult job, displaying integrity, fairness and responsibility.

Friedmann announced he would cooperate with Mazuz to select an appropriate replacement. The most prominent candidates are prosecutors, since Mazuz will try not to rock the justice system by appointing an outsider.

Nevertheless, a private sector appointment has not been ruled out. Likely candidates include both deputy state attorneys, Shay Nitzan and Shuki Lamberger, as well as deputy attorney general Mike Blass and prosecutor Yochi Gnessin of the ministry's appeals division.

In addition, former prosecutors Dvora Chen and Moshe Lador and retired justice Boaz Okun, a Friedmann associate, are also among the list of possible candidates to succeed Shendar.