Israel Police has decided to guard the home of Accountant General Yaron Zalika heavily, following threats on his life and the lives of his family, Gali Zahal (IDF Radio) reports.
"Unless Yaron Zalika leaves Jerusalem, we will harm him and his family", was the message the wife of the Ministry of Finance accountant general heard yesterday from an anonymous caller. This is not the time that Zalika has found himself the object of threats. "It's no secret that I'm going through a tough period," he said recently, "from smears and personal abuse to constant threats. I have not been deterred and I haven't tried to hide. It's no secret."
In recent months relations between Zalika and other top officials at the Ministry of Finance have been frosty. The accountant general testified against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in the affair of the tender for the privatization of Bank Leumi. Zalika believes that Olmert, when he was minister of finance, attempted to bias the tender conditions in favor of two bidders close to him, Daniel Abrams and Frank Lowy. Zalika filed a complaint with the State Comptroller.
Under the current minister of finance, Abraham Hirchson, Zalika, who is responsible for managing the state's assets, has refused to authorize moves such as the payment by the state of salaries of local authority workers, a stance which resulted in a general strike. Two months ago, Hirchson deprived Zalika of some of his authority, but Zalika, who was appointed three-and-a-half years ago by Benjamin Netanyahu, enjoys the backing of the state comptroller and considerable support in the Knesset for his campaign against what he perceives as widespread corruption in Israel's public service.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on January 15, 2007
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