Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., May 12, 2008 Iyyar 7, 5768 | | Israel Time: 22:21 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Advertising
Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Comments:  37
Last update - 20:24 12/05/2008
Police raid J'lem municipality, look for documents linking PM to bribes
By Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel, Ehud Olmert, Police 

Police raided the offices of the Jerusalem municipality on Monday, searching offices and confiscating documents as part of a widening corruption investigation against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Olmert is suspected of illicitly accepting large sums of cash from a Jewish American donor. Some of the donations are believed to have taken place during Olmert's 10-year tenure as mayor of Jerusalem.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the police's anti-fraud team conducted Monday's raid. He said the seized documents were connected to Olmert's tenure as mayor between 1993 and 2003, but had no further details on their contents
Advertisement
Meanwhile Monday, the National Fraud Investigation Unit questioned American businessman and fund-raiser Morris Talansky over the affair for the first time since the comprehensive gag order on the case was partially lifted Thursday.

Sources involved in the probe told Haaretz that the investigation was currently focused on Olmert's tenure as industry and trade minister in the government of former prime minister Ariel Sharon - not on the mayoral election campaigns in which Olmert participated, the funding for which he said he had received from Talansky.

However, Haaretz has also learned that the debts of an organization that campaigned for Olmert's election as mayor of Jerusalem were covered out of funds received from Talansky.

Olmert said Friday that the investigation dealt with donations to the 1999 and 2002 campaigns for the Jerusalem mayoralty and the Likud primary.

The prime minister further said the funds were also intended to cover losses. He said he had met Talansky 20 years ago and acknowledged receiving funds from him, saying they were campaign contributions when he twice ran for mayor of Jerusalem and that he never kept any money for himself or took bribes.

However, the sources said investigators were primarily gathering incriminating evidence about Olmert's activities circa 2005.

"The investigators are currently focusing on reinforcing suspicions that are relatively easy to verify," one of the sources said. "They are dealing with the period during which it is possible to unearth findings that will strengthen the suspicions against Olmert. By virtue of these things, it is easier to deal with and to investigate suspicions related to a more recent period than to suspicions related to something that happened 15 years ago, when the relationship between Olmert and Talansky began."

The sources said the evidence unearthed so far all points in the same direction.

"During the short period being probed so far, the investigators managed to arrange a cross-checking of sources," said the person involved in the probe. "There are documents, there's Talansky's testimony, there's [attorney Uri] Messer's testimony - all these findings reinforce the credibility of the other."

A law-enforcement official, who is familiar with Olmert's testimony and the investigators' work, indicated that the prime minister may be attempting to mislead the public.

"There's no doubt that Olmert is trying to pull the investigation in a certain direction, of collecting funds for elections," the official said. "But in contrast to the impression Olmert is trying to create, the investigation team is currently focusing precisely on the period when there were no elections, and there was no apparent justification for collecting funds for an election campaign."

The official said police suspect Olmert of receiving envelopes of cash but don't know what happened to the money. Talansky told Channel 10 Sunday that he had no idea whether the money he gave Olmert went into his own pocket - which Olmert denied in a televised address Thursday night - or was used for political campaigns (see above video). Talansky said he had no idea the donations were illegal and that he had no intention of doing business in Israel.

"At present, the investigation is clearly focusing on the period when Olmert served as the minister of industry, trade and labor," the official said, adding that investigators may yet expand their probe to cover the period during which Talansky raised funds for Olmert's various election campaigns. "The investigators have solid information regarding envelopes of cash that were handed over to Olmert, and there is no information regarding the fate of that money."

Meanwhile, investigators resumed looking into the allegations Sunday, for the first time since the details of the case were reported in the local press after Independence Day on Thursday. The investigators tried to lower their profile and shake off the media Sunday. The primary suspects - Olmert, Messer and Olmert's former bureau chief Shula Zaken - were not questioned Sunday.

Related articles:
  • Kadima members berate Livni for silence over Olmert probe
  • Kadima members berate Livni for silence over Olmert probe
  • In Talansky case, Olmert's bonds with cronies beginning to crack
  • Mr. Suspect's government
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Death of a heroine
    Irena Sendler, who saved 2,500 Jews during the Holocaust, dies at 98.
    Apocalyptic tidings
    Holy See warns of nightmarish perils if Mideast nuclear arms race is not halted.
      1.   The police stated this case can shake the nation 04:01  |  Meir Weinstein 12/05/08
      2.   part 2 05:00  |  Meir Weinstein 12/05/08
      3.   The election reality in America 05:16  |  Mark Lincoln 12/05/08
      4.   Open season? 05:18  |  Mark Lincoln 12/05/08
      5.   "...PM may be attempting to mislead the public". Olmert ? Really? 06:58  |  Dr. L. Brnd 12/05/08
      6.   Olmert needs to resign & not put Israel thru his investigations 07:12  |  Shepherd 12/05/08
      7.   More on Talensky and ImageSat 08:22  |  Meir Weinstein 12/05/08
      8.   Talansky sues IAI in New York Court 08:32  |  Meir Weinstein 12/05/08
      9.   To Mark Weinstein # 1 & 2 - Olmert and Money 08:47  |  Dolly 12/05/08
      10.   OLMERT"a man who will do anything for money" 08:59  |  Dagma 12/05/08
      11.   A Failed, Lying Cheating Prime Minister with no Scruples 09:13  |  Natasha 12/05/08
      12.   The `Hand of God` never fails...... 09:23  |  Natasha 12/05/08
      13.   #3, MarkL, bribery has to be proven 09:49  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 12/05/08
      14.   #2, Meir Weinstein 10:01  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 12/05/08
      15.   #8, Meir Weinstein 10:06  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 12/05/08
      16.   #12, Natasha 10:10  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 12/05/08
      17.   Israelis are worried about few hundred thousands 10:54  |  El-Birawi 12/05/08
      18.   Shouldn`t Olmert declare the funds? 10:55  |  Inyaki 12/05/08
      19.   Income tax authorities should check............ 11:44  |  Nora 12/05/08
      20.   Improper Leaks 12:20  |  guy 12/05/08
      21.   Netanyahu hotel and Barak fund raising... 12:28  |  Ulf 12/05/08
      22.   Bribes require favours in return. 14:12  |  Ben Azai 12/05/08
      23.   Lab Result 14:20  |  Liar Pantsonfire 12/05/08
      24.   Envelopes full of cash 14:24  |  Zev 12/05/08
      25.   El Birawi, I agree with you (for a change), I can add to this 14:29  |  Simon 12/05/08
      26.   From the New York Post July 13, 2007 14:37  |  Meir Weinstein 12/05/08
      27.   EHUD LAKACH ( and not barach)-I like it. 14:44  |  Inyaki 12/05/08
      28.   Zippy @14-15-16 15:49  |  ...G1 12/05/08
      29.   Olmert, stay in Government as long you can ! 16:17  |  A.Cohen 12/05/08
      30.   From the Miami Harold 16:29  |  Meir Weinstein 12/05/08
      31.   Israelis, stop harrasing American citizen Mr. Talansky! 18:03  |  Serum of Truth 12/05/08
      32.   Who is after Olmert? 18:14  |  Questioner 12/05/08
      33.   Re: The Port of Jaffa Land 19:05  |  Jaffaman 12/05/08
      34.   No evidence = no case 19:22  |  Tali 12/05/08
      35.   Talansky 21:11  |  John 12/05/08
      36.   were they looking for who taught him? (Kollek) 21:29  |  Jewboy 12/05/08
      37.   The Police is Stupid, 12 years after Olmert left Jerusalem 21:55  |  Haham me Bat Yam 12/05/08
     Read & React
    Israel on alert as clashes rage across Lebanon for sixth day
    Responses: 224
    Lieberman: I'd join Netanyahu gov't if I received defense post
    Responses: 62
    Akiva Eldar: If Bush was really Israel's friend, he'd stay home
    Responses: 81
    Olmert probe focuses on his time as trade minister
    Responses: 37
    Haaretz TV: Religious homosexuals contend with self-hatred and Haredi condemnation
    Responses: 70
    Rosner's Domain
    Obama: Jewish state is a fundamentally just idea (WTR)
    Rosner's Guest: The Jewish story in 6 words
    What Does It Mean To Be "Pro-Israel"?
    Poll: What happend in Lebanon?
    Can Israel Survive for Another 60 Years? (WTR)


    More Headlines
    21:41 Woman killed as rocket directly hits Negev home
    20:31 Bush: Olmert is an honest man; our relationship is 'excellent'
    21:24 Olmert to Egypt: No Gaza truce if Shalit is not released
    17:44 Rightist rabbis urge Bush not to meet Olmert during Israel visit
    19:07 Orlev, Beilin to submit bill that would facilitate PM's suspension
    20:30 U.S. actor Jon Voight visits Israeli victims of Palestinian attacks during Jerusalem trip
    22:07 U.S. think-tank aims to infuse Jewish life with dashes of color
    21:36 11 J'lem teens suspected of racially motivated assault against Arabs
    20:24 Police raid J'lem municipality, look for documents linking PM to bribes
    14:41 Israel on alert as sectarian clashes rage across Lebanon for sixth day
    17:32 Holy See asks Israel to help protect Christians in Mideast
    14:22 Irena Sendler, who saved 2,500 Jews from Holocaust, dies at 98
    Previous Editions
    Special Offers
    Advertisement
    Dead Sea Products
    Buy Dead Sea mineral skin care and beauty products. Coupon code Haaretz for 10% off.
    Together Celebrating Israel's 60th
    The Jewish Agency and You - together making history
    Pardes Institute Summer Sessions
    http://www.pardes.org.il/
    FAREWELL ISRAEL New Film
    The Coming War for Islamic Revival - View Movie Trailer
    The interest rates haven't changed
    But your profits will!
    Learn Hebrew online
    with Israel's best teachers Sign up for a trial lesson today
    Free the Palestinians from:
    Corrupt Kleptocracy, Tyrannical Theocracy, Abysmal Anarchy
    Fattal Hotel Chain
    Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel.
    ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel
    Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th
    Eldan Rent a Car
    Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations
    Junkyard
    Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
    Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |
    Real Estate in Israel
    Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
    © Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved