Last update - 00:50 22/02/2006
Comptroller probing sale of Olmert's Jerusalem home to offshore company
By Uri Blau, Haaretz Correspondent, and Reuters State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss is looking into the 2004 sale of Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's house in Jerusalem to an offshore company registered in the British Virgin Islands. His lawyers told Haaretz that the man behind this company is the American billionaire Daniel Abrams, who has made contributions in the past to Olmert and other
politicians.
The State Comptroller launched the probe following questions submitted by Haaretz last Thursday.
The comptroller also plans to look into Olmert's ties to Abrams, who contributed NIS 193,000 to Olmert ahead of Olmert's campaign in the Jerusalem mayoral elections. Lindenstrauss is already investigating a $120,000 contribution from Abrams in 2004 to Shimon Peres' campaign for the Labor Party primaries last November.
Olmert has denied any wrongdoing. A statement issued by his office said that Olmert had made a full disclosure of the sale to the state comptroller's office 18 months ago. Olmert did report the sale to the state comptroller, but failed to inform him that the company which purchased the house belonged to Abrams.
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/685607.html