The State Comptroller's office is investigating whether Health Ministry deputy director-general Itamar Grotto appointed his associate without official tender, Channel 12 reported.
Grotto, recently under fire for granting quarantine exemption to Cypriot-Israeli tycoon Teddi Sagi last week, having been called on by a senior health official to resign, has now made headlines once again.He was found to have appointed his former assistant to a position inside the Health Ministry that wasn't available during the coronavirus crisis.
According to a letter obtained by Channel 12, Grotto wrote to his former assistant, David Azulay, to inform him of his new title as director of the Medical Institute for Road Safety.In his letter he wrote, "In light of the coronavirus crisis, and the authority that is demanded of me to manage the crisis, I delegate to you the authority of director of the Medical Safety Institute, and wish you success in the position."
According to an official involved in the investigation the appointment didn't make sense, as "the Medical Institute for Road Safety did not operate during the coronavirus crisis, the doors were closed. Grotto's claim that the crisis made the appointment urgent is puzzling."
Furthermore, not only was the office closed, but according to state law, in order to be appointed for the position, one must undergo government tender, which for the last two months has been put off due to the crisis.Additionally, a requirement of the tender requires a medical education in rehabilitation or occupational therapy, which Azulay does not have.The State Comptroller's office recently announced that it was launching a wide-ranging review of the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman's announcement to the Prime Ministry Benjamin Netanyahu he said that during the last two months, review teams have been working to gather information regarding the government's response, while meeting with relevant officials in preparation for the review. Included in the investigation is a review in to the Health Ministry's conducts during the crisis, in addition to that of the Prime Minister's office, the Defense Ministry, the National Security Council, and several other official organizations and bodies.