Israel comptroller checks Olmert’s house purchase

JERUSALEM: Israel’s state comptroller is examining interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s purchase of a house in Jerusalem, a week after finding the sale of his previous home was above board, a spokeswoman said on Monday. Olmert has denied any wrongdoing in the real estate deals, which have made headlines in Israel during a countdown to a March 28 election that opinion polls predict his centrist Kadima party will win easily. In the first transaction, Olmert sold his Jerusalem home for $2.7 million to an American tycoon, a sum Israeli news reports alleged was above market value. State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss, examining the deal, concluded the figure was reasonable. After selling the house, Olmert bought another home in Jerusalem, for $1.2 million, Israeli media reports said, putting the market value at more than $1.5 million and alleging he received a discount from contractors in return for favours. reuters

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