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World Jewish News
Olmert faces imminent decision on three corruption indictments
11.08.2009
Attorney General Menachem Mazuz told Ehud Olmert's attorneys on Tuesday that he would soon decide whether to charge the former prime minister in three corruption investigations, Israel Radio reported.
The Rishon Tours, cash envelopes and Investment Center affairs all allegedly occurred during Olmert's tenure as labor, trade and trade minister.
Mazuz on Tuesday also rejected claims by Olmert's attorneys that he had stripped the former prime minister of his right to a pre-trial hearing, continuing an ongoing war of words between the two sides.
According to Mazuz, Olmert himself had given up that right by refusing to attend a hearing. The former prime minister had claimed then that the prosecution could not discuss the matters with an open mind, as they had already decided to press charges against his former travel coordinator, Rachel Risby-Raz, for her involvement in the Rishon Tours case.
Olmert's attorneys said the former prime minister still had the right to such a hearing, despite canceling the scheduled hearing.
The former prime minister is accused of accepting cash envelopes from American businessman Morris Talansky.
He is also suspected of illegally double-billing charities and a government ministry for the same flights he booked through Rishon Tours, sending them falsified receipts for travel expenses and using the surplus to finance personal and family trips abroad.
The Investments Center affair, which was first reported in Haaretz, concerned allegations that Olmert granted personal favors to his old law partner, Uri Messer, who was acting on behalf of a company, an act which would constitute a conflict of interest, breach of trust, and fraud.
Mazuz on Monday decided to close another corruption case against Olmert, citing lack of evidence over allegations that he accepted some NIS 1 million in bribes in exchange for assisting the Laniado Hospital in Netanya.
The Laniado affair was the third case against Olmert to be dropped. The first closed was the Bank Leumi affair, in which Olmert was suspected of trying to help his friend, Australian real-estate magnate Frank Lowy, buy the controlling shares in Bank Leumi. Olmert, who was acting finance minister in 2005, was suspected of trying to change the tender conditions for buying the bank.
By Tomer Zarchin, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Источник: Haaretz
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