The mushroom industry in Israel has just recently appeared on the media radar. Reports from Israel's Channel 10 news and The Jerusalem Post indicate a potential financial irregularity concerning the Prime Minster Ehud Olmert and a mushroom farm in Galilee.
According to the allegations that were broadcast on Israel's Channel 10 news, Olmert allegedly used his influence while serving as trade and industry minister to ensure that a member of the Likud Party, to which he belonged at the time, received a government grant for 7,500,000 shekels (about 1.7 million US dollars) for a mushroom factory.
State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss has recently begun investigating suspicions that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was involved in authorizing monetary awards to a factory owner who was a member of the Likud, Channel 10 reported on Monday evening.
According the to report, the owner of the Galilee mushroom factory, Ramo Ben-Shushan, requested allocations from the investment centre in the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry when Olmert served as ministry head.
Olmert has been under investigation for several other alleged corruption scandals over the past few months.
Stalker wasn't aware that Israel had a mushroom industry. Who wouldn't go for fresh produce from Galilee - sounds beautifully biblical.
