Investigators from the National Fraud Investigation Unit, Lahav 433, are preparing for a particularly intense week: a number of senior public figures are expected to receive summons for questioning and be questioned in the coming days in various cases at the unit's offices.
Leading the interrogators who will march to the unit's offices this week will be former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who is suspected of obstructing legal proceedings.
Together with Olmert, who was convicted last Sunday In accepting bribes in the Holyland affair, The unit is expected to question several other individuals connected to the case with a warning: attorney Navot Tel Tzur, who previously represented Ehud Olmert in the "Talesky Money Envelopes" case - on suspicion of subverting a witness; businessman Alfred Akirov, who is close to Olmert, has also been summoned to testify in the case, on suspicion that he transferred money to Shula Zaken, Olmert's former secretary, in exchange for her silence in investigations into the various cases in which Olmert was involved. Along with them, it is also expected to arrive at the unit's offices Zaken's lawyer, Micha Patman, who represented her in legal proceedings. Daniel Abrams, a Jewish-American businessman close to Olmert, will also be summoned to the unit's offices, but it is unclear whether he will come to Israel.
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The National Fraud Investigation Unit has decided to conduct an urgent investigation, with the aim of reaching conclusions before Passover. This is because the hearing on the arguments for sentencing in the Holyland trial is expected to take place on April 28.
What's going on with Sylvan's case?
Investigators will also investigate the allegations against Minister Silvan Shalom this week.. After finding that the first allegation against the presidential candidate was unfounded, the police are continuing to review additional information that has arrived. It should be noted that, to date, no official complaint has been filed against the minister.
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein ordered a delay in closing the investigation file against Shalom. The decision was made following new information that investigators had received. The police requested to verify the reliability of the information, which led to a delay in closing the file.
Barak to be questioned about 'war of the bureaus''
Another case currently being investigated is the 'war of the bureaus' between Ehud Barak and Gabi Ashkenazi, which exploded following the 'Harpaz document'. After the first wave of interrogations, which included the arrest of former IDF spokesman Avi Benyahu and the assistant to the former Chief of Staff Erez Wiener, Former Defense Minister Ehud Barak is also expected to be questioned this week..
The police investigation into the complex case focuses on the suspicion that elements in Gabi Ashkenazi's office, led by Benyahu, collected defamatory information about Barak and the candidate for the position of Chief of Staff at the time, Maj. Gen. (res.) Yoav Galant. The investigation - dubbed 'Investigation 404' - was opened following new materials brought to law enforcement agencies.
