| Topic: |
Science > Prophecies-Of-Nostradamus |
| User: |
"Moshe The Kosher Sewer Rat" |
| Date: |
14 Nov 2007 03:05:52 AM |
| Object: |
100 Israeli Police Raid Ehud Olmert's Offices |
http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,310459,00.html
100 Israeli Police Raid Ehud Olmert's Offices
Sunday , November 11, 2007
More than 100 police investigators raided government buildings and
private offices Sunday, searching for evidence in a series of criminal
investigations of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
The probes - all related to actions that took place before Olmert
became prime minister - have threatened to weaken the Israeli leader
at a time of growing momentum in peace efforts with the Palestinians.
The early-morning raid targeted more than 20 locations, including the
Industry and Trade Ministry, the Postal Authority and Jerusalem's City
Hall, said police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld.
"Police investigators are searching a number of government and private
offices in connection with three ongoing investigations" into Olmert,
Rosenfeld said.
Investigators were still collecting evidence on Sunday afternoon, and
the search was expected to possibly continue into early evening, he
said.
He said authorities were expected to confiscate documents and other
materials. He gave no further details.
Officials in Olmert's office declined comment. In the past, the prime
minister has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has dismissed the
investigations as a political witch hunt.
In one case, Olmert is suspected of buying a luxurious Jerusalem home
at a substantial discount from a developer in exchange for arranging
construction permits for the builder. Olmert is a former mayor of
Jerusalem.
In a second case, police are looking into suspicions that Olmert acted
improperly when he was trade minister earlier this decade. Authorities
suspect Olmert steered a government grant to a friend and arranged
improper political appointments.-
Olmert also is suspected of trying - albeit unsuccessfully - to rig
the sale of Israel's second-largest bank in favor of two associates
while he was finance minister in 2005.
Olmert has been dogged by corruption allegations throughout his three-
decade career in politics, but has never been convicted of any
wrongdoing.
Still, the probes have threatened to undermine him just as his public
approval ratings have begun to rebound from last year's inconclusive
war in Lebanon.
Olmert is preparing for a U.S.-hosted Mideast peace conference later
this month in Annapolis, Maryland. He hopes the gathering will provide
a launching pad for formal peace talks with the Palestinians after a
seven-year lull.
A criminal indictment in any of the three investigations facing Olmert
would deal a heavy blow to the peace efforts. Although Olmert would
not be forced to step down, he would be seriously weakened and likely
face heavy public pressure to step aside.
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