PM says willing to cooperate with comptroller on Pollard affair

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday reneged on his previous statements and said he was willing to cooperate with State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss on the Jonathan Pollard affair.

Pollard, a civilian intelligence analyst for the U.S. Navy, was convicted of selling military secrets to Israel while working at the Pentagon. He was arrested in 1985 and pleaded guilty at his trial. He is serving a life sentence in a U.S. federal prison.

The prime minister on Monday told MK Zevulun Orlev, head of the Knesset's State Control Committee which oversees the workings of the state comptroller, that Cabinet Secretary Ovad Yehezkel and his political advisor, Shalom Turjeman, have already given the comptroller all the information that was at the government's disposal regarding the case.

However, the prime minister added, he would cooperate in addressing any remaining questions in writing and would disclose further material if needed.

A few months ago, Lindenstrauss started compiling a report on whether Israel has been doing everything within its capacity to ensure the release of the jailed spy.

Lindenstrauss then criticized Olmert in what could be construed as accusing him of creating the impression that the inquiry into the government's conduct in the affair puts Pollard's potential release at risk.

Lindenstrauss said then: "If I'm wrong I'll be the first to admit it, and I wish I am, but someone here is behaving in a shady manner."

	State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss. (Jini)