Israel: The Troublesome Legal Saga of Ehud Olmert

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Since September, the corruption trial of Ehud Olmert has been playing out in Jerusalem District Court with all the makings of a Greek tragedy. The once proud and powerful former Prime Minister of Israel, already forced from office by allegations of sleaze, faces three separate criminal cases, including charges of double billing charities and nonprofit organizations for travel expenses and receiving some $150,000 in cash-stuffed envelopes from a favor-seeking supporter. Olmert pleaded not guilty to all counts in December.

But lately, one thing has been missing from the trial: Olmert himself. He left the country last month, a few days before the trial entered an accelerated schedule. He has been out of the country ever since. The trial judge did not ask him to post bail.

In the meantime, the legal clouds around the case appear to be growing thicker. On Wednesday, April 7, Israeli prosecutors arrested Olmert's close confidant and former lawyer Uri Messer on suspicion of helping to collect bribes, obstructing justice and laundering money in conjunction with an unnamed suspect. The local media are barred by a court order from revealing the identity of the suspect. The Jerusalem Post ran an article with the headline "Uri Messer Is the Link." The police are calling the Messer case "one of the most serious corruption affairs in the state's history."

Though originally due to return on April 7, Olmert remains in a hotel in Madrid, and associates now say he will be not be returning for another week. If and when he does, the police will be waiting for him at the airport, government sources told TIME, and the Israeli media are already speculating that he may be taken into custody. Olmert's lawyer has denied that his client has done anything that would warrant being arrested. On Thursday, the lawyer asked that the former Prime Minister's ongoing trial be halted so as to not be confused with the investigation of Messer. The judge agreed; Olmert's trial is set to resume in May."

more



Olmert denies connection to alleged Holyland bribery scheme

<snip>

"Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert denied Saturday that he had any connection to the alleged bribery scheme involving the "Holyland" residence project in Jerusalem, which was promoted during Olmert's decade-long tenure as the city's mayor, Channel 2 news reported.

"I must say I am very surprised," Olmert told Channel 2 news while on a vacation in Spain, adding that "no one has contacted me or any of my legal attorneys, and no one has asked me for a thing, so I don't know what the commotion is about and I deny everything that was hinted at in relation to the case."

Earlier this week attorney Uri Messer, a close confidant of Olmert, was arrested on charges of serving as an intermediary in an alleged bribery scheme. Five other suspects were also arrested in connection with the charges.

At the hearing on the suspects' remand, the deputy president of the Rishon Letzion Magistrate's Court, Abraham Heiman, said this was "one of the worst corruption affairs in Israeli history."

"If the investigation uncovers sufficient evidence to serve an indictment, the effects will be earth-shattering," Heiman said.

The allegations involve bribes paid to obtain permits for a number of real estate projects, one of which has been identified as the highly controversial "Holyland" residence project in Jerusalem. The project, built on the site of the Holyland Hotel despite large-scale public protests, was promoted during Olmert's decade-long tenure as mayor of Jerusalem."

more

[bemildred]

1. The problem is Ehud is an utterly ordinary Israeli politician.

He is being thrown under the bus now, the need for scapegoats is continuous these days.

[shaayecanaan]

4. Bribery in Israeli politics seems to be much like doping in the Tour de France

I would be surprised if an outgoing prime minister of Israel was not the subject of bribery allegations.

[Scurrilous]

2. Former Jerusalem mayor arrested in bribery scandal

<snip>

"Israeli police arrested a former mayor of Jerusalem on Wednesday in connection with a multimillion-dollar bribery scandal that has been linked to a key confidant of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

The arrest of Uri Lupolianski marks the latest twist in a scandal that has riveted Israel.

Last week, a longtime Olmert associate and five others were arrested in the affair, in which huge sums of money allegedly changed hands to promote several real-estate projects, including a large development in Jerusalem that required a radical change in zoning laws.

Olmert was mayor of Jerusalem when the bribery allegedly took place, and the construction was done during Lupolianski's tenure.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Lupolianski was arrested and appeared before a court in central Israel. The court ordered he be held in custody for five days."

more


Ex-Jerusalem mayor arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes

<snip>

"Former Jerusalem mayor Uri Lupolianski was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of accepting more than NIS 3 million (approximately $750,000) during the construction of the contentious Holyland project in the capital.

In return, it is alleged, Lupolianski acquiesced to the requests of the project's initiators, and rejected hundreds of objections to the plan, among them preventing height restrictions on the buildings by two stories.

Lupolianski is also suspected of having accepted NIS 1.5 million by 1999, while serving a senior official in the city council and prior to his appointment as mayor. He is suspected of accepting another NIS 1.4 million between 2000 and 2006, as well as some $30,000 for campaigning during his run to succeed Ehud Olmert as mayor in 2003.

In 2005, he is alleged to have accepted a further NIS 100,000 for the same purpose.

Earlier Wednesday, the spokesman for former prime minister Ehud Olmert said that the former permier had decided to return to Israel early from his stay abroad, since he is wanted for questioning regarding the alleged Holyland bribery scheme.

Olmert's spokesperson, Amir Dan, said in a statement that "in light of recent announcements that are getting more and more frequent, the police are interested in questioning Olmert regarding his alleged involvement in the Holyland affair. Olmert has decided to cut short his pre-planned visit abroad, and return to Israel on Wednesday night."

The statement also said that "Olmert denies any involvement in the affair, though he clearly said a week ago that he will agree to be questioned if the police wished to do so, so that is the reason for his return to Israel."

more

[ConsAreLiars]

3. While this casts shame on a system that puts the most venal into power, it also

is a credit to Israel's judiciary. The US system puts true monsters, the most ruthlessly corrupt, into power, but out judicial system almost never even looks at them. That said, I expect their system will jail their warmongers and war criminals about the same time ours does.

[Scurrilous]

5. Ehud Olmert named as suspect in Holyland case

<snip>

"Former prime minister Ehud Olmert was named on Thursday as the hitherto unidentified senior figure suspected of accepting an NIS 3.5 million bribe to facilitate the construction of the Holyland project in Jerusalem.

Olmert, who is already on trial in another corruption case, cut short a trip abroad and returned to Israel early Thursday following reports alleging his involvement.

Police have already questioned dozens of figures connected to the construction project, some of whom testified that Olmert and other senior Jerusalem officials were involved in the suspected graft.

Some of the testimonies went into detail regarding the mechanism with which the funds were allegedly transferred.

Police believe that Olmert received his money through two channels: first through his close friend and associate attorney Uri Messer, who was arrested last week; and second, through his former by bureau chief, Shula Zaken, who is currently abroad and expected to be questioned by police upon her return."

more