Police deny receiving new Olmert bribery material from attorney-general

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Police denied a report on Wednesday according to which Attorney General Menachem Mazuz had asked the National Fraud Unit to examine fresh material containing allegations of bribery against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert which is unconnected to the current police investigation into the premier. According to the unconfirmed report, Mazuz admitted to sending material to police and state prosecutors for perusal in order to decide whether there was enough evidence to warrant a new bribery investigation. The Movement for Quality Government in Israel allegedly pressed Mazuz to examine the material, which is said to suggest that Olmert, while serving as Minister for Trade, Industry, and Labor, canceled the debt of a medical center owned by a well-known businessman in Israel who had donated funds to Olmert. "We have not received any new material from Mazuz," a police spokeswoman said. "As with all cases, if Mazuz chooses to launch a new investigation, an official announcement will accompany the decision," she added.