Morris Tanasky
Photo: Dudi Vaaknin
Attorneys: Delay Talansky testimony
Due to US investigation, Talansky not returning to Israel. Lawyers requested testimony be given at later date
Attorneys for Morris Talansky, the State's key witness in corruption investigation against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, filed an appeal with the Jerusalem District Court on Thursday requesting a postpoment of their client's testimony, which was scheduled to take place Sunday.
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In their appeal, lawyers Jacques Chen and Yehoshoua Reznick mentioned that they had met with both the state prosecutor and the Jerusalem district prosecutor and had asked them to find a way for Talansky to continue to testify, in light of an investigation currently underway against him in the US and his attorneys' fears that his testimony in Israel would be used against him in the American investigation.
The State Prosecutor's Office had flled an update with the District Court stating that it had requested the US Attorney general's office not to use Talansky's testimony against him, but have yet to receive a response. The letter says that the State Prosecutor's Office had not requested a delay of Talansky's testimony and left with no other option Talansky and his lawyers were forces to request the delay from the court themselves.
A letter from Talansky's American lawyer, Brad Simon, was attached to the appeal. In the letter Simon states that he had received a letter form the US Prosecution asking Talansky to report to their offices. Because of this request Talansky will not be able to continue testifying in Israel, as his lawyers need to prepare him for his meeting with the US Attorney General's Office.
Simon's letter goes on to say that his lawyers may discourage him from meeting with the US prosecution because it is not in Talansky's best interest. The letter states that Talansky did promise to return to Israel, but due to the request by the US Attorney General's office, he can not return due to schedule conflicts.
Following Simon's letter, Chen and Reznick had requested the court to order the delay of Talansky's testimony until after an answer from the Americans is relayed, so that he would be able to return to Israel complete his legal obligation and continue his testimony.
