Alex Hilman CPA, the leading candidate for the post of director of the Israel Tax Authority, will be required to sell the accounting practice that he jointly owns with his wife Tova Hilman CPA, if he wants to be appointed for the job. Sources inform ''Globes'' that this is the position of the Ministry of Justice regarding Hilman's candidacy, in order to avoid a conflict of interests.
The Ministry of Justice is currently examining Hilman's conflicts of interest. The examination is being conducted now, even before the search committee has recommendation Hilman for the job, as one of the lessons of its handling of the candidacy of Zeev Feldman for the post.
The search committee, chaired by Ministry of Finance director general Yarom Ariav, recommended Feldman for the Tax Authority director's position. However, the examination into conflicts of interests was initiated only after the recommendation. The examination discovered that Feldman had given evidence in the affair of former Tax Authority senior deputy director general assessment and control Shuki Vita over alleged deviations in assessments for businessman Arcadi Gaydamak and drug lord Zeev Rosenstein. Feldman represented Gaydamak in the tax assessment made with Vita.
As a result of this affair, the search committee decided to examine potential conflicts of interests of candidates before recommending them.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 28, 2008
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