Lindenstrauss files final annual report to Knesset
64-chapter report includes sections on every gov't body including health, defense; full report to be released at 4:00 p.m.
By JOANNA PARASZCZUKLindenstrauss and Rivlin 311(photo credit: Marc Sellem Israel/The Jerusalem Post)
The State Comptroller, Micha Lindenstrauss, presented his final annual report to Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday morning, the last of its kind before his seven-year term of office ends in July.The 64-chapter report includes detailed sections on every government body including health issues and defense.Rivlin thanked Lindenstrauss for his tenure as state comptroller, adding that his role in auditing the government was "the long arm and watchful eye of the Knesset as a representative of the state." The role of state comptroller is to audit public institutions, including ministries, the army and security services as well as all bodies managed by the state.During Lindenstrauss's term, the office of the state comptroller had "become independent and there is almost real-time control", Rivlin added. Lindenstrauss said that the report was the largest in terms of scope, and that it contained chapters dealing with government ministries and the security forces.Special attention had been devoted to weaker sections of Israeli society, the state comptroller added, and to ultra-Orthodox service in the army.The state comptroller added that there was "no democracy without criticism", and said he would file a further two reports before his retirement, on the Carmel Fire and the Harpaz Affair.The Harpaz report would be ready "within several days", Lindenstrauss said, and the Carmel Fire report would be submitted during the coming month.The Carmel Fire report was almost complete, Lindenstrauss said, and was waiting for testimony from one more person.During his seven year term as state comptroller, Lindenstrauss has gained a reputation for being relentless fighter against government corruption and has insisted on naming those government officials deemed responsible for failures.Lindenstrauss's term of office officially ends on July 3rd, and Jerusalem District Court Judge Joseph Shapira has been touted as the leading candidate to replace him. Knesset will vote on Lindenstrauss's replacement in a secret ballot on May 14, even if Knesset holds a break for elections, Rivlin said on Tuesday.Rivlin noted that so far, one candidate has been put forward to replace Lindenstrauss and said that other potential candidates had until Friday to nominate themselves. The Knesset speaker added that he hoped there would be an additional two candidates.The Jerusalem Post will be providing full coverage of the semi-annual State Comptroller's report.
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