Israeli National Fraud Investigation Unit will open a criminal investigation against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert over suspected corruption in a real estate deal, local media quoted police as saying on Tuesday.
Chief of Investigations and Intelligence, Major General Yohanan Danino, appointed the unit to handle the probe into Olmert's purchase of an apartment in Jerusalem on Tuesday, one day after Attorney General Menachem Mazuz ordered police to initiate the investigation.
The unit's deputy chief, Commander Nahum Levy, is to lead the investigation.
The prime minister and his wife, Aliza, are suspected of purchasing the apartment on Cremieux Street in Jerusalem at a discounted price and in return granting benefits to the real estate firm which brokered the deal.
Olmert is scheduled to appear for questioning for the first time in connection with this case after the Jewish Holydays.
In addition to the apartment investigation, the prime minister is also being investigated for his alleged role in the tender for the privatization of Bank Leumi.
However, senior police officials expressed pessimism over their ability to carry out the investigation in the case.
"It is very difficult to run an investigation a year and a half after all the information on the case has been published in the media," senior police sources said on Monday.
For police investigators, the fact that much of the information of the case has already been made public means that they are not likely to be able to bring "untainted" evidence against the prime minister that will lead to an indictment.
Police sources said that they hoped the investigation would be completed soon.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister's office on Monday expressed confidence in the honest acquisition of the property at Cremieux Street.
"We regret the decision to proceed with the investigation," said the statement, which described the investigation as " unnecessary."
At this stage it is not clear whether the suspicions of criminal conduct are directed at Olmert himself, or primarily at persons in the Jerusalem Municipality.
The attorney general is also expected to make a final decision on whether to initiate a third criminal investigation in the role of Olmert in the case of the Small Business Authority, and other cases which date back to Olmert's tenure as Minister of Industry and Trade.
Source: Xinhua
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