Prime Minister Sharon says that if it turns out that Deputy Minister MK Naomi Blumental in fact did not answer police questions during her interrogation yesterday, he will do what he can to have her removed from the Likud's list of Knesset candidates. Blumental, #9 on the list, is suspected of having rented hotel suites for Central Committee members on the eve of the primaries election. The Deputy Infrastructures Minister found herself in the center of a media storm yesterday afternoon when it was reported that she had reserved the right to remain silent. She was reported to be "astonished" at Sharon for making the announcement of her possible dismissal before even speaking to her to ascertain what had happened. Sharon later asked Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein if Blumental had in fact remained silent, but the latter refused to say.
It was noted that she is not the first elected official to have utilized this right: MK Avi Yechezel of Labor and MKs Yair Levy and Aryeh Deri of Shas did the same in the past. Ehud Barak's Cabinet Secretary Yitzchak Herzog, now running for MK on the Labor Party list, also refused to answer police questions.
It was noted that she is not the first elected official to have utilized this right: MK Avi Yechezel of Labor and MKs Yair Levy and Aryeh Deri of Shas did the same in the past. Ehud Barak's Cabinet Secretary Yitzchak Herzog, now running for MK on the Labor Party list, also refused to answer police questions.