Israel’s second-largest daily newspaper, Ma’ariv, is again up for sale, following the collapse of Robert Maxwell’s media empire.
But according to a London-based auditing firm, Maxwell’s holdings in Israel are in good order, despite the scandal surrounding his financial dealings that has emerged since his mysterious death at sea Nov. 5.
Maxwell, a Czechoslovak-born Jewish war orphan who adopted Britain as his homeland and became a billionaire, fell, jumped or was pushed from his yacht while cruising in the Canary Islands. He was buried Nov. 10 on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, as requested in his will.
Alan Katz, who heads a four-man team sent by the Arthur Anderson accounting firm in London to examine Maxwell’s Israeli assets, said over the weekend that everything was found in order.
Maxwell bought a controlling 80 percent interest in the Modi’in Publishing House a year ago, which brought not only Ma’ariv but also the Keter publishing house and the Teva Pharmaceutical Co. under his wing.
He also acquired Scitex, a media imaging company, which he sold, reportedly at a profit, several months before his death.
The auditors reported that up to the time of his death, Maxwell had discharged all of the financial obligations he undertook in Israel.
The report is important because of rapidly mounting evidence that Maxwell engaged in questionable and possibly illegal financial manipulations to keep afloat the vast international media and industrial empire he acquired by going heavily into debt.
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