The head of the Israeli prime minister's bureau, Uri Shani, handed in his resignation Friday. A bureau spokesman said that a replacement would be found for Shani in the coming months.
Sources inside the prime minister's bureau told Israel Radio that Shani decided to resign because of the "huge workload." The sources said that Shani would continue in his position until a replacement.
Shani has been a close adviser to Ariel Sharon for many years. Prior to Sharon's election as prime minister in February 2001, Shani served as general secretary of the Likud Party, Haaretz reported.
Sharon appointed Shani head of his bureau after the attorney general recommended that Sharon not appoint him head of the Prime Minister's Office because of prior criminal conviction.
In January this year, Shani questioned by police over his involvement in the operation of fictitious companies in order to facilitate the transfer of donations from abroad into Sharon's internal election campaign funding. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
