Due to the unlikelihood that a replacement for him will not be appointed in time, Eran Shendar has decided to postpone his resignation from the post of State Prosecutor. Shendar had announced several months ago that he would resign, but questions have arisen in recent weeks regarding the process whereby a new State Prosecutor would be appointed. At a conference in Jerusalem last Wednesday, Shendar called a proposal by Justice Minister Daniel Friedman that the government appoint a new prosecutor “dangerous.”
Shendar is also said to fear that his replacement will not pursue the corruption cases against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that he has been handling as forcefully as his staff has. Shendar made the announcement in a staff meeting Thursday with officials on his staff. Attorney General Menachem Mazuz was also informed, and has given his blessing to Shendar's decision.
Shendar's decision is a great disappointment to Olmert, sources in the PM's office said, because of the bitter relationship between the two. With Shendar staying on the job, it's likely that he will be the one to decided if and when to indict Olmert on one or more of the numerous corruption scandals Olmert is enmeshed in. Sources in Shendar's office said that the most likely case for an indictment was the Bank Leumi scandal, in which Olmert allegedly received benefits and discounts on real estate in exchange for easing the conditions for cronies on their potential purchase of shares in the bank being sold by the State while he was Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor in 2005.
Shendar is also said to fear that his replacement will not pursue the corruption cases against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that he has been handling as forcefully as his staff has. Shendar made the announcement in a staff meeting Thursday with officials on his staff. Attorney General Menachem Mazuz was also informed, and has given his blessing to Shendar's decision.
Shendar's decision is a great disappointment to Olmert, sources in the PM's office said, because of the bitter relationship between the two. With Shendar staying on the job, it's likely that he will be the one to decided if and when to indict Olmert on one or more of the numerous corruption scandals Olmert is enmeshed in. Sources in Shendar's office said that the most likely case for an indictment was the Bank Leumi scandal, in which Olmert allegedly received benefits and discounts on real estate in exchange for easing the conditions for cronies on their potential purchase of shares in the bank being sold by the State while he was Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor in 2005.