After threats from Tamimi, Abbas forms committee to probe his office scandal

PIC

[ 14/02/2010 - 07:03 PM ]

RAMALLAH, (PIC)-- Mahmoud Abbas has bowed to the threats made by former intelligence officer Fahmi Al-Tamimi to expose serious corruption files within the Palestinian Authority (PA) and decided to form a committee to probe the scandal of Rafiq Al-Husseini, the director of his office in Ramallah.

 Tamimi, the former director of the anti-corruption unit in the Palestinian intelligence apparatus, threatened to reveal more documents and videotapes on different moral, security and financial corruption incidents within the PA if Abbas did not take action against Husseini.

Tamimi had disclosed days ago a videotape showing the director of Abbas’s office caught on a hidden camera soliciting sex from a female job applicant.

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The committee Abbas formed includes member of Fatah central committee Azzam Al-Ahmed who was accused by Tamimi of financial corruption involving millions of dollars.

In a related context, many citizens in the West Bank including Fatah members hailed Palestinian premier Ismail Haneyya for preventing the broadcast of the videotape of Al-Husseini scandal on Al-Aqsa satellite channel and said such a step reflected that Hamas does not adopt the policy of revenge against its opponents.

“Such stands receive great respect from the citizens, not as a defense of those who sold off the [Palestinian] cause to satisfy their cravings, but as a matter of tolerance which the leadership of Hamas enjoys,” one of the West Bankers said.

Meanwhile, Abbas’s militias kidnapped five Palestinian citizens affiliated with Hamas in the districts of Nablus, Ramallah, Tulkarem and Al-Khalil, according to a statement issued Sunday by Hamas in the West Bank.

River to Sea
 Uprooted Palestinian