Police question Israeli prime minister

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was questioned under caution on Friday morning at his official residence in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv' daily Haaretz reports. A number of Knesset, Israeli parliament, members called on him to suspend himself pending the investigations, reports say. Police question Israeli prime minister The questioning began at 10 a.m. local time and lasted for about an hour. The reason for the investigation is not known. Olmert is a suspect in several corruption affairs involving real estate deals and questionable political appointments, but has never been charged. Shelly Yachimovich, a member of Olmert's ruling coalition from the Labor Party, on Thursday called the scope of charges against Olmert unprecedented and said he should suspend himself immediately. "It has been proven beyond any doubt that the prime minister can't be under serial investigations and also suspected of crimes and also lead the country," she told Israel Radio. MK Zahava Gal-On also called on the prime minister to take temporary leave pending the proceedings of the investigations, Israel Radio reported. Detectives from the national police fraud unit on Wednesday had asked to meet with Olmert urgently, within 48 hours. The summons were made after receiving special permission from the attorney general. The police attempted to keep the questioning secret but it was reported last night by Channel 2 television news. Despite the report and despite previous promises by National Police Commissioner David Cohen and other senior police officials to notify the media in advance about Olmert's investigation, national police headquarters Thursday refused to comment. "The prime minister intends to fully cooperate with law enforcement officials as he has in the past and he is convinced that once the truth is disclosed in the framework of the police investigation, the suspicions against him will disappear," a statement issued Thursday by the Prime Minister's Office said. It is not known which affair Olmert was questioned about. In the past, it was reported that three concurrent investigations were being conducted against Olmert: the Investment Center affair, the affair surrounding political appointments in the Small Business Authority and the house on Cremieux Street affair. Olmert has been questioned in the past under caution. Last October a police fraud unit team came to his home to take statements regarding changes in the tender for Bank Leumi. At the time, Olmert was suspected of having acted to alter the conditions of the tender to favor a friend, Frank Lowy, who was considering submitting a bid. Olmert was questioned for two days, following which he fell ill with a cold. In the end, the police announced that Olmert was not suspected of criminal behavior in connection with the affair. A few months before that, detectives came to the prime minister's residence to hear Olmert's version of events vis-a-vis the Tax Authority affair. At the time the police announced that Olmert was not a suspect in the affair, but was merely being questioned over the appointment process for senior officials in the organization and over the role of his office manager, Shula Zaken, in the affair. In November, the fraud unit conducted a major evidence-gathering operation relating to investigations against Olmert. One hundred detectives raided 20 different sites simultaneously, confiscating a large number of computers and documents. The material involved all three of the affairs reportedly being investigated. Among the sites raided was the office of the minister of trade and industry and other offices in the ministry; the Israel Lands Administration; the employment bureau; the Small Business Authority and the Investments Center. Documents were also collected from the offices of attorney Uri Messer, the Alumot real estate developer, the postal authority and the Jerusalem municipality. Olmert seen during an Israeli cabinet session (FoNet, archive)

Police question Israeli prime minister

The questioning began at 10 a.m. local time and lasted for about an hour. The reason for the investigation is not known. Olmert is a suspect in several corruption affairs involving real estate deals and questionable political appointments, but has never been charged.

Shelly Yachimovich, a member of Olmert's ruling coalition from the Labor

Party, on Thursday called the scope of charges against Olmert unprecedented and said he should suspend himself immediately.

"It has been proven beyond any doubt that the prime minister can't be under serial investigations and also suspected of crimes and also lead the country," she told Israel Radio.

MK Zahava Gal-On also called on the prime minister to take temporary leave pending the proceedings of the investigations, Israel Radio reported.

Detectives from the national police fraud unit on Wednesday had asked to meet with Olmert urgently, within 48 hours. The summons were made after receiving special permission from the attorney general.

The police attempted to keep the questioning secret but it was reported last night by Channel 2 television news.

Despite the report and despite previous promises by National Police Commissioner David Cohen and other senior police officials to notify the media in advance about Olmert's investigation, national police headquarters Thursday refused to comment.

"The prime minister intends to fully cooperate with law enforcement officials as he has in the past and he is convinced that once the truth is disclosed in the framework of the police investigation, the suspicions against him will disappear," a statement issued Thursday by the Prime Minister's Office said.

It is not known which affair Olmert was questioned about. In the past, it was reported that three concurrent investigations were being conducted against Olmert: the Investment Center affair, the affair surrounding political appointments in the Small Business Authority and the house on Cremieux Street affair.

Olmert has been questioned in the past under caution. Last October a police fraud unit team came to his home to take statements regarding changes in the tender for Bank Leumi.

At the time, Olmert was suspected of having acted to alter the conditions of the tender to favor a friend, Frank Lowy, who was considering submitting a bid. Olmert was questioned for two days, following which he fell ill with a cold. In the end, the police announced that Olmert was not suspected of criminal behavior in connection with the affair.

A few months before that, detectives came to the prime minister's residence to hear Olmert's version of events vis-a-vis the Tax Authority affair. At the time the police announced that Olmert was not a suspect in the affair, but was merely being questioned over the appointment process for senior officials in the organization and over the role of his office manager, Shula Zaken, in the affair.

In November, the fraud unit conducted a major evidence-gathering operation relating to investigations against Olmert. One hundred detectives raided 20 different sites simultaneously, confiscating a large number of computers and documents. The material involved all three of the affairs reportedly being investigated.

Among the sites raided was the office of the minister of trade and industry and other offices in the ministry; the Israel Lands Administration; the employment bureau; the Small Business Authority and the Investments Center. Documents were also collected from the offices of attorney Uri Messer, the Alumot real estate developer, the postal authority and the Jerusalem municipality.