Talansky asks court to let him return to US

American businessman Morris Talansky asked the Jerusalem District Court on Friday to allow him to return to the United States, promising to return and continue being questioned by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's lawyers on a later date.

Talansky, the key witness in a bribery investigation launched against Olmert, told the court, "When I came here I thought the cross-examination would take three days. I don’t have the energy to stay after Sunday.

"My family and I have been bothered by this for months, as has my business," he added, asking the court to release him.

The prime minister's representative, Attorney Roee Blecher, said in response, "We need him at least until Tuesday. These are the five days we asked for."

Talansky's lawyer, Attorney Jack Chen, said that the judges must be considerate towards his situation. "It's not easy for him to sit and be questioned for such a long time."

State Prosecutor Moshe Lador said in response that "a pre-trial deposition should be heard in a continuous manner. This is a decision made by the Supreme Court in the past."

The justices left the courtroom to discuss the matter, and then decided to reject the request.  

Earlier, Olmert's lawyers, headed by Attorney Eli Zohar, continued with their attempts to undermine the reliability of the key witness' versions during his police questioning and at court. They presented what they defined as fundamental contradictions between his versions, and Attorney Zohar even said to him at one point, "I pity you."

Lador: PM's lawyers dealing with irrelevant issues

During the cross-examination, Lador slammed Olmert's lawyers over their demands from Talansky, who is suspected of bribing the prime minister during his previous posts.

"We are dealing with things which are completely irrelevant to the investigation. They are looking for ways to enrage the witness, and I call on them to put an end to this issue at some stage," Lador said at the start of the second day of key witness Talanky's cross examination.

At the start of the discussion, the prime minister's lawyers, headed by Attorney Eli Zohar, continued to present the key witness with questions on the various loans he gave the people he worked with. They demanded that he present the lists he prepared on funds given to different elements.

The court refused to issue an order compelling Talansky to present his notes. The American businessman was angered by the lawyer's demands, saying, "Even if I did take and transfer funds between the accounts – I am allowed to."

When the lawyers demanded that Talansky present the court with reports he had submitted to the Tax Authority over the past 10 years, Lador stood up and said, "If my friends plan to continue with questions on irrelevant issues, when will we reach the discussed issue? This cross-examination will last five days and that's it. I suggest that we put some stop to it."

Attorney Zohar said in response, "What the state prosecutor said is insolent. It is aimed at the media and this is Lador's goal. There is no room for this remark." 

Talansky arrives at court (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

The discussion later focused on donations collected by Talansky throughout the years. The key witness was asked about notes collected during the police investigation. He said that many donors were afraid to give Israelis checks and preferred cash.

"The donors were always afraid of turning over checks due to their fear of Knesset members and politicians," he said.

Before the cross-examination was resumed, Olmert's lawyer Eli Zohar said Talansky is not a person on which an indictment or an investigation can be based on.

The key witness was smiling as he entered the Jerusalem District Court, and told the reporters, "It's a beautiful morning, enjoy it."

Attorney Eli Zohar told Ynet, "What we'll see today is the same thing we saw yesterday, only elaborated."

Peeling the onion

Meanwhile, the media war on the part of the prime minister continues. Olmert's media advisor, Amir Dan, said before the court session began, "It's like an onion. You peel very slowly, layer by layer, and in the end the State Prosecutor's Office will remain with nothing."

An aide to Talansky said in response," When one peels an onion, one eventually cries."

Talansky's lawyer, Attorney Jack Chen, told Ynet that he refuses to address the "spins" on the part of Olmert's people. "At the end of the day, Talansky has said since the first day of the investigation that he did not commit any offense."

On Thursday, as the first day of the cross-examination came to an end, the prime minister's lawyers claimed that they had managed to undermine the key witness' version.

Attorney Nevot Tel-Tzur expressed his satisfaction over the fact that he managed to present a secret summary of a meeting held between Talansky, the state prosecutor, the Jerusalem District prosecutor. In this meeting, the lawyer claimed, it was decided that Talansky would be presented as a suspect who has reached an understanding with the law enforcement authorities.

"The State Prosecutor's Office used a tactic which should not be used against a prime minister," Tel-Tzur said.

Talking to Ynet, a legal source rejected the lawyers' claims on the reliability of Talansky's version. "We did not see anything new changing our perception about Talansky. If anything, our perception about him, as well as about his relations with Olmert, has only become stronger."

On the first day of the cross-examination, Talansky was asked about different incidents in his past, in a bid to question his character and try and prove that his remarks are inaccurate and that he sometimes tends to forget details.

Attorney Zohar asked Talansky whether he had told the police things he wasn't sure off due to the pressure of the investigation. "That's not true," Talansky replied. "I may have got a certain date or a certain sum wrong, but every incident I described had taken place."

Aviad Glickman contributed to this report