State comptroller asked to review president's spending

The Ometz association for good governance asked State Comptroller Yosef Shapira to review the expenditures filed by the President's Residence (Beit Hanassi).

"Following the welcome initiative by the various elements that pushed for the release of the expenditures relating to the prime minister's residences, and given that this issue is within the direct purview of your office, my client believes that the President's Residence should be subjected to a similar review," attorney Haim Misgav wrote on behalf of Ometz in a letter sent to Shapira on Sunday.

"As far as my client could ascertain, the expenditures logged by the President's Residence now reach a monstrous 60 million shekels [$17 million] and it is not at all clear whether these expenses are separate from the various ventures bearing President Shimon Peres' name, such as the Peres Center for Peace, the Peres Academic Center, and so on," Misgav wrote.

"Moreover, Ometz seeks to review in detail the fortune spent on President Peres' birthday celebration, including the full disclosure of the source of the donations used to fund it. It would seem that receiving donations to this effect sets a poor example, as a public official is barred from accepting donations meant to fund private functions."

Four months ago, the President's Residence met a demand by the Movement for Freedom of Information in Israel to disclose its expenditures.