Olmert to be questioned Tues. on role in Bank Leumi affair - Haaretz

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Last update - 09:28 07/10/2007

Olmert to be questioned Tues. on role in Bank Leumi affair

By Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondent

The National Fraud Investigation Unit will question Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in his official Jerusalem residence on Tuesday on his involvement in the sale of the state's controlling interest in Bank Leumi.

Senior police sources say that Olmert's testimony will determine whether an indictment will be filed, because up until now they have not amassed unequivocal evidence against him.

The investigation is headed by the head of the fraud unit, Shlomi Ayalon, and Chief Superintendent Eran Kamin. The team is expected to transfer all of the investigation material to the State Prosecution immediately after the prime minister's testimony is taken.

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Olmert is suspected of attempting to intervene in the tender for the privatization of Bank Leumi on behalf of his friend, the Australian businessman Frank Lowy. The tender for the bank's privatization was published in November 2005, four months after Olmert replaced Benjamin Netanyahu at the treasury.

During that time, Olmert demanded various changes to the tender, which he explained were aimed at encouraging strategic, rather than merely financial, investors to bid. However, law enforcement officials suspect that the changes were meant to help Lowy.

In the end, however, Lowy withdrew from the tender shortly before it closed.

The suspicions against Olmert first emerged during an audit of the sale by State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss. The comptroller heard testimony from Accountant General Yaron Zelekha and other officials in Zelekha's office. After finishing his audit, Lindenstrauss transferred the material to Mazuz, who then asked the police to conduct "preliminary inquiries" into the matter

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09:28 Olmert to be questioned Tues. on role in Bank Leumi affair