March 21, 2007	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 1, 1428

JERUSALEM: Israeli police said they had questioned Finance Minister Avraham Hirshson for seven hours on Tuesday as part of a probe into corruption in a labour union that he once headed.

“Mr Hirshson was questioned by the police fraud department for seven hours,” police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP.

In a statement, the police said Hirshson was suspected of involvement in aggravated robbery and fraud, embezzlement, obstruction of justice and conspiring to commit a crime.

In January, police confirmed media reports that a graft probe had been launched against Hirshson, the latest in a string of Israeli officials to face corruption charges.

Hirshson, a member of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima party, has not commented on the allegations.

The allegations are part of an investigation into embezzlement of 13.5 million dollars from the National Workers Union Histadrut, which Hirshson once headed.

Corruption probes and other scandals involving senior Israeli officials have rocked the Jewish state during the past six months.

Among them have been several graft probes against Olmert and a looming rape indictment against President Moshe

Katsav, who has since taken a leave from the largely ceremonial post.—AFP