Abarbanel. Completing investigation
צילום: גיל יוחנן
Talansky case: Jerusalem district attorney to leave for US
Eli Abarbanel, two police investigators to meet with FBI agents, lawyers of key witness in Olmert corruption affair
A team including Jerusalem District Attorney Eli Abarbanel and two investigators from the National Fraud Investigation Unit will leave to the United States on Sunday in order to complete their investigation in two affairs allegedly involving Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
The three are expected to stay in the US for a week and a half.
Abarbanel is expected to meet with members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in order to obtain their response to Israel's request that American businessman Morris Talansky, the key witness in one of the affairs, will receive immunity and won't be charged in the US.
The Jerusalem district attorney is also scheduled to meet with Talansky's American lawyers, who recommended to their client not to arrive in Israel about a month and a half ago for the continuation of his cross-examination.
The Israeli investigation team is also expected to question one of the heads of the organizations that invited Olmert on a fundraising trip to the US, and examine whether the prime minister received double financing for a plane ticket both from this organization and from another body.
About two weeks ago, five FBI represenatives arrived in Israel for meetings with senior officials at the State Prosecutor's Office and the National Fraud Investigation Unit, in order to examine the State's request that Talansky would not be charged in the US.
The representatives received explanations on the probes launched against the prime minister and on the essentialness of Talansky's testimony.
The US investigation against Talansky was launched on suspicion of money laundering offenses and false declarations to the tax authorities. After consulting his lawyers, the American businessman fears that his ongoing testimony against Olmert in Israel would damage his status and investigation in the US.
Sources in the law enforcement system told Ynet that the investigation team's additional trip to the US does not weaken the police's recommendation to indict the outgoing prime minister.
"As in any case, in this case as well there are some things the State Prosecutor's Office and police must complete, and thus the investigation in the United States could make ends meet in two of the affairs.
"The objectives are to strengthen the suspicions and evidence we have against Olmert, and do not point to weak evidence or to a possibility that the police recommendations will not be accepted by the State Prosecutor's Office," one of the sources said.
Efrat Weiss contributed to this report
