Sunday, November 11, 2007

Police raid gov't offices to seize evidence in Olmert cases

Over 100 police investigators from the National Fraud Investigation Unit conducted simultaneous raids on a number of public offices with the objective of seizing evidence in a number of corruption cases standing against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Searches were reportedly conducted in more than 20 sites, including the Industry, Trade, and Labor Ministry, the offices of the Israel Land Administration, the Jerusalem Municipality and the Israel Postal Company.

The raid was the first dramatic move by police since Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz decided to investigate the prime minister in the case of the house on Jerusalem's Cremieux Street and a number of suspicions pertaining to Olmert's tenure as Industry, Trade, and Labor minister.

The Industry, Trade and Labor cases comprise the Investment Center affair, in which Olmert is suspected of giving favorable treatment to his close friend and former law partner, Uri Messer, and the case of the Small and Medium Business Authority, in which he is suspected of making political appointments.

As soon as the raid was completed, a number of suspects would be taken in to be questioned under warning, NFC reported.

Dan Izenberg contributed to this report.

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