To the long line of officials being investigated for corruption in the Olmert administration, add Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer. Attorney General Menachem Mazuz is likely to open an investigation against Ben Eliezer over appointments the Minister made in the Israel Electric Company, reports said Friday.
The investigation is to be based on findings by State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss, who has been conducting an in-depth check of appointments to various positions by a number of politicians. Lindenstrauss has determined that a number of Ben Eliezer's appointments in the IEC during his previous stint as Infrastructures Minister were illegal, the reports said. The investigations indicate that Ben Eliezer conferred with Kadima party officials over who to appoint to which job.
In an interview with Channel 10, Ben Eliezer said he was unaware of any foul play in his action. But sources in Lindenstrauss's office said that the minister had been interrogated for at least three hours over the past week. Ben Eliezer insisted that he had done nothing wrong, but told reporters Friday that if anyone had any criticism of his actions, he would gladly change his methods of appointing officials to senior positions under his aegis.
The investigation is to be based on findings by State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss, who has been conducting an in-depth check of appointments to various positions by a number of politicians. Lindenstrauss has determined that a number of Ben Eliezer's appointments in the IEC during his previous stint as Infrastructures Minister were illegal, the reports said. The investigations indicate that Ben Eliezer conferred with Kadima party officials over who to appoint to which job.
In an interview with Channel 10, Ben Eliezer said he was unaware of any foul play in his action. But sources in Lindenstrauss's office said that the minister had been interrogated for at least three hours over the past week. Ben Eliezer insisted that he had done nothing wrong, but told reporters Friday that if anyone had any criticism of his actions, he would gladly change his methods of appointing officials to senior positions under his aegis.