Abbas steps in over sex scandal

Images of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat may be fading but the perception of corruption during his rule remains. Photo / AP

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has suspended his chief of staff over an alleged sex scandal that has further eroded his public standing.

Three leading Abbas loyalists in Fatah have been appointed to a commission which will investigate chief of staff Rafiq al-Husseini's behaviour.

Given that past inquiries by the Palestinian Authority (PA) into corruption and political fiascos - including the loss of Gaza to Hamas in 2007 - have not led to dismissals, the step was seen as a way of addressing public anger over the scandal, while not yet firing Husseini, a long-time Abbas associate.

Israeli television's Channel Ten last week aired a video that showed Husseini undressing and then in bed while calling to a woman off-camera to join him. "Do I turn off the light or do you? What is the procedure?" he is heard to ask.

The woman was allegedly applying for a job with the PA. The video, made available by a former Palestinian intelligence agent, was posted on YouTube.

It caused widespread disgust, even though it seems Husseini was probably the victim of entrapment by the agent, whose responsibilities included investigating corruption inside the PA.

"No doubt when you see images it's a different story; very different from if someone told you," said Wadie Abu Nassar, the Haifa-based director of the International Centre for Consultations think-tank.

Fatah's rival, Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, is exploiting the scandal to present itself as a clean foil to Fatah.

Its media reported claims by the intelligence officer, Fahmi Shabaneh, that he has also amassed considerable evidence of financial corruption at the top levels of the PA, including the theft of millions of dollars in public funds.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has stressed financial transparency but Abbas has not been able to shake off the perception of corruption that dates back to Yasser Arafat's leadership.

Critics of Abbas said he knew about the allegations against Husseini for more than a year and did nothing. Abbas's inability to wrest concessions from Israel, or make good on promises to establish an independent Palestinian state, have also hurt him.

"What is certain is that this scandal is further harming the already damaged image of the PA in the eyes of its own constituency," Abu Nassar said.

Husseini has said he was the victim of a conspiracy by Israelis and some Palestinians to discredit him and Abbas.

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