WORLD> Middle East
|
WORLD> Middle East
|
|
Olmert suspected of fraud in seeking funding for trips
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-07-12 00:19 According to the suspicions, Olmert's travel agency allegedly sent an individual receipt to each organization who gave money for the same flights, as though each had been the only contributor. Each body then had its own receipt that it had funded the trip, and the surplus money, apparently a substantial amount, was allegedly deposited in a private bank account in Olmert's name, which was handled by the same travel agency. The suspicion is that these funds were then used to pay for private trips abroad for Olmert and his family. Olmert, who is also suspected of illicitly receiving hundreds of thousands of US dollars from Jewish American businessman Morris Talansky over a 15-year period before beginning his tenure as prime minister, was questioned by Israeli police investigators Friday morning for roughly two and a half hours. It was the third time Olmert was questioned since the corruption case was made public. Police officials had said they hope to conclude the investigation within a number of weeks. During the questioning, Olmert was asked about issues that were not previously discussed and was compelled to answer, said local daily Yedioth Ahronoth. The Prime Minister's office released a statement following Friday's questioning, saying most of the questions were standard and pertained to business Olmert conducted abroad and in his posts as Jerusalem mayor and minister of industry and trade. On May 27, Talansky, who has now returned to Israel in order to undergo a cross examination by Olmert's attorneys next Thursday, told the Jerusalem District Court that he gave Olmert 150,000 dollars out of his own pocket, speculating that some of the money went to fund Olmert's fondness for fine hotels, first-class flights and luxury goods. Olmert, who has acknowledged receiving money from Talansky but claimed the funds were used for election campaigns, denied any wrongdoing in the case and said he would resign if indicted. |
