Israel: Key meeting on PM indictment

The Israeli police is expected give its recommendation Sunday regarding an indictment against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Izvor: haaretz

Sunday, 07.09.2008.

12:47

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The Israeli police is expected give its recommendation Sunday regarding an indictment against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Tel Aviv daily Haaretz writes that the head of the police division in charge, Maj. Gen. Yohanan Danino, and senior officers are to examine the evidence collected in three affairs. Israel: Key meeting on PM indictment If no further investigation is deemed necessary, the material will be given to the State Prosecutor's Office along with recommendations whether the evidence in any or all of the cases constitutes a basis for indictment. The State Prosecutor is expected to make its decision about two weeks after receiving the material and holding a hearing for Olmert. Olmert's media advisor, Amir Dan, said Saturday: "The police have no choice but to recommend an indictment, since they have to justify the fact that they brought down a prime minister in office." Following a meeting last Thursday at the Lod headquarters of the police crime-fighting umbrella unit, Lahav 433, a recommendation to indict in the double-billing affair seemed to be in the offing. Also known as the Rishon Tours affair, police suspect that during Olmert's stint as minister of industry, trade and labor (2003-2006), as well as when he served as mayor of Jerusalem (1993-2003), Olmert financed at least 12 of his own and his family's private flights, booked via the Rishon Tours travel agency, through money obtained fraudulently from public bodies. With regard to the Talansky affair, in which Olmert is being investigated for allegedly accepting illicit funds over many years from Long Island businessman Morris Talansky, a source said that, "Its various links do not completely correlate." The source was referring to the fact that investigators were not always able to connect Talansky's testimony with the exact bank withdrawals, and Talansky and those present during the alleged hand-overs of cash "describe the events differently." The source said the Investment Center investigation, which involves allegations that Olmert granted personal favors to his former law partner, Uri Messer, when he was industry, trade and employment minister, was also considered "complex" in terms of the evidence." Nevertheless, a senior police official said recently that there was a good chance that both the Talansky and the Investment Center investigations would result in a recommendation to indict.

Israel: Key meeting on PM indictment

If no further investigation is deemed necessary, the material will be given to the State Prosecutor's Office along with recommendations whether the evidence in any or all of the cases constitutes a basis for indictment.

The State Prosecutor is expected to make its decision about two weeks after receiving the material and holding a hearing for Olmert.

Olmert's media advisor, Amir Dan, said Saturday: "The police have no choice but to recommend an indictment, since they have to justify the fact that they brought down a prime minister in office."

Following a meeting last Thursday at the Lod headquarters of the police crime-fighting umbrella unit, Lahav 433, a recommendation to indict in the double-billing affair seemed to be in the offing.

Also known as the Rishon Tours affair, police suspect that during Olmert's stint as minister of industry, trade and labor (2003-2006), as well as when he served as mayor of Jerusalem (1993-2003), Olmert financed at least 12 of his own and his family's private flights, booked via the Rishon Tours travel agency, through money obtained fraudulently from public bodies.

With regard to the Talansky affair, in which Olmert is being investigated for allegedly accepting illicit funds over many years from Long Island businessman Morris Talansky, a source said that, "Its various links do not completely correlate."

The source was referring to the fact that investigators were not always able to connect Talansky's testimony with the exact bank withdrawals, and Talansky and those present during the alleged hand-overs of cash "describe the events differently."

The source said the Investment Center investigation, which involves allegations that Olmert granted personal favors to his former law partner, Uri Messer, when he was industry, trade and employment minister, was also considered "complex" in terms of the evidence."

Nevertheless, a senior police official said recently that there was a good chance that both the Talansky and the Investment Center investigations would result in a recommendation to indict.

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