Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was on Thursday accused of unlawfully appointing scores of political cronies from his former Likud party in the latest scandal to mar his beleaguered leadership.
The allegations were sparked when private Channel 10 television revealed a document drawn up by Olmert aides listing dozens of appointments they arranged for party members when he was trade and industry minister from 2003 to 2006.
The more than 100 alleged fixed jobs include senior positions in public bodies, such as local councils and the postal authority, which require open competition at public tender.
”Every week or two, I would be summoned to the minister’s office … During these meetings I got a list of people who they wanted appointed to the postal service,” Avi Moskovitch, a former senior postal official, told army radio.
During meetings with Olmert’s senior aide, Oved Yehezkel, ”we would receive instructions from the minister’s office and they expected us to carry them out,” he added.
”Yehezkel claimed all along that these were requests from the prime minister [Olmert],” he alleged, accusing him of asking for the jobs to be fixed, ”even if it was necessary to replace” members of the tender committee.
One of Olmert’s closest aides, Yehezkel today acts as a senior political advisor to the premier, who already faces a criminal probe over his alleged abuse of influence in the privatisation of Israel’s second-largest bank.
Olmert quit the Likud party in November 2005 for the centrist Kadima party, created by former mentor and coma-stricken Ariel Sharon.
The state comptroller’s office, the government watchdog, said no decision has yet been made to open a probe into the report.
”When we receive the list, the state comptroller will decide whether it should be examined by his office,” spokesperson Orit Harel told Agence France-Presse.
Political appointments were common practice under successive Likud-led governments and several party members, including former MPs, have been found guilty of wrongdoing over the years in their bid to win party support.
”At one point I felt I was in a grocery store,” said Moskovitch, who claims he was forced to violate public tenders to arrange ”several dozen” minor appointments.
On one occasion, Moskovitch recounted being present at a meeting between Olmert and former postal authority CEO, Yossi Sheli, when Olmert asked him to appoint someone head of the authority’s northern district.
”If you don’t do it, I will cut your balls off,” he quoted the then trade and industry minister as allegedly saying.
Olmert’s office slammed Moskovitch’s allegations as a ”series of ridiculous claims that are motivated by an urge for revenge.”
On Wednesday, Channel 10 revealed an internal document, penned by an advisor to Olmert, outlining favours for 115 political activists and members of the Likud central committee.
”I am not familiar with the document,” the prime minister said in reaction. ”It was presented to me a very short time ago. I don’t recall composing such a document or authorising someone to do so.”
The accusations are only the latest in a series of scandals to embroil Olmert, who faces record low support in public opinion polls .
Olmert is Israel’s fourth consecutive prime minister to be subject to criminal probes, although none of them has been charged. He also faces investigations over several suspected illegal real-estate deals.
In the most serious charges ever levelled against an Israeli leader, President Moshe Katsav faces indictment for rape and sexual harassment.
On January 31, former justice minister and close Olmert aide Haim Ramon was found guilty of sexual harassment. Graft allegations have also been brought against Finance Minister Avraham Hirshson. — AFP
