- Greek island affair
The Greek island affair was an Israeli political scandal involving
David Appel ,Ariel Sharon , at the time a minister in theLikud party, and others close to Sharon. The scandal consisted of charges, later dropped, that Appel had obtained favourable treatment from Sharon and his allies, which would help him and his fellow investors purchase the small rocky island of Patroklos at the tip ofAttica , in the town ofPalaia Fokaia , for the purpose of building a multimillion-dollar resort complex. The project was unsuccessful.While Ariel Sharon was Foreign Minister under Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu in 1999, the indictment asserted, Appel contracted to payGilad Sharon , Ariel's son, then 30 years old and a business novice, US$20,000 a month as a business consultant to Appel's development project. It was reported that Gilad may have received up to US$3 million had the project been successful. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1128400,00.html Sharon the survivor: why Greek island affair could sink him] , "Guardian Unlimited ",January 22 ,2004 ]Israeli prosecutors argued that Appel signed the contract with Gilad Sharon in order to secure his father's help in facilitating the resort project. Sharon later hosted the deputy foreign minister of
Greece during his visit to Israel. The indictment also charged that Appel had assistedEhud Olmert 's campaign for mayor of Jerusalem. [ [http://www.globalpolicy.org/nations/launder/regions/2004/0122island.htm Sharon Begins to Feel the Heat over Greek Island Bribery Claims as Prosecutors Consider Charges] "The Independent ",January 22 ,2004 ]On
June 14 2004 , Israel's Attorney General,Meni Mazouz , decided to close the case without criminal proceedings, because of lack of evidence. The land deal was actually negotiated before Sharon was Foreign Minister, and Sharon had voted against Appel's interests when he was Housing Minister in an earlier government. Mazouz also commented negatively on the prosecution: "There was a goal at the outset which influenced the decision-making process." [ [http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2004/06/16/sharon_exonerated_of_corruption/ Sharon exonerated of corruption] "Boston Globe "16 June ,2004 ]Trivium
The island is not named for the hero Patroklos, but for a
Hellenistic admiral. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Paus%2e+1%2e1%2e1]ources
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