Former Bank Hapoalim chairman Dan Dankner has been interrogated under warning in recent days by the police’s National Fraud Unit on suspicion of misconduct, police announced Wednesday.Dankner is accused of exploiting his position and putting Bank Hapoalim's capital on the line by extending risky credits when he served as director and chairman of the bank between 2005 and 2008.Dankner stepped down from his post following the intervention of Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer, who acted in opposition to Shari Arison, who holds a controlling share in the bank.On Wednesday, Arison’s spokespeople said that Dankner was “at work, as usual” as director of Bank Hapoalim-Switzerland, the position he has served in since stepping down. Dankner issued a statement following the police announcement, saying “for understandable reasons, I intend to respond to reports on the subjects. I call on everyone to respect the investigation and to allow it to take place without intervention.” He said he would cooperate with the investigation in full and expressed his hope to “clear up the matter and end it as soon as possible.” In clashing with Arison, Fischer, Supervisor of Banks Rony Hizkiyahu and the Bank of Israel refused to detail the reasons behind the demand to oust Dankner. Arison then claimed that she was not presented with reasons convincing enough to justify Dankner’s demotion. Bank Hapoalim did not issue a reaction to the police announcement.
