PENDING INVESTIGATION OF OLMERT'S HOUSE PURCHASE

The state attorney's office has decided to recommend opening an investigation into Ehud Olmert's buying a house unlawfully:

Despite reports late Sunday night that a criminal investigation would be opened against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert regarding his purchase of a home on the capital's Cremieux Street in 2004, Justice Ministry officials insisted that the case was simply in a "very advanced stage, pending a decision."

Justice Ministry spokesman Moshe Cohen refused to confirm or deny rumors that State Attorney Eran Shendar had decided to recommend to Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz that Olmert face a criminal investigation for the real estate purchase.

In the Justice Ministry, however, the belief was that a decision on a criminal probe would be made in the next two to three weeks.

The circumstances surrounding the purchase of Olmert's home in the German Colony neighborhood raised suspicions last year when reports were released that Olmert, who formerly served as both mayor of Jerusalem and finance minister, had received the property at substantially below market price in exchange for granting his contractor special favors at the municipality.

I think the beginning of the end of Olmert's career is just around the corner.