At start of trial, Olmert says will be proven innocent
Former prime minister being tried for a series of corruption affairs, says upon arriving at courthouse, 'I came here innocent man and believe I will leave here innocent man.' Prosecution: Talansky is not delusional and there were envelopes
The evidentiary stage of the court case against former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert opened Thursday. Olmert is charged on a number of corruption counts in three different affairs.
Jerusalem District Prosecutor Attorney Eli Abarbanel admitted in his opening statements that there were problems with the testimony provided by Morris Talansky, the main witness in the Talansky money envelopes affair, but noted "Talansky is not delusional. There were envelopes. Regarding the monetary amounts there is disagreement, but regarding the envelopes, there is not."
Attorney Abarbanel, pushed up to the head of the prosecution team after Attorney Uri Korev was put on forced vacation after deriding the court, opened in a long and detailed statement in which he unrolled the entire Talansky affair down to its smallest details. It seems as though Abarbanel is not put off by the status of a former prime minister, and used scathing words in his description of Olmert's alleged crimes.
Olmert Thursday in court. Confident he'll be acquitted. (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
Abarbanel opened with an admission to the problematic nature of the testimony provided by the main witness: "Talansky's testimony is not clean. He is an older man, who already during his investigation and testimony to the court mixed up events and amounts. He is a man who tends to express himself using extremes.
"The prosecution will claim that he is a self-interested person involved in crime, a friend of the indicted who transferred hefty sums of money to him for years, some in cash and some in envelopes to the indicted. When Talansky come to the police and was investigated on warning, he knew he was in a bind, and he knew he could be investigated on warning in the US as well. He knew he was in a bind, and, therefore, it is clear to us that he is self-interested."
"Despite all that has been said," continued Abarbanel, "it seems that a significant portion of his statements are based on firm evidence."
"A disagreement remains regarding the sums, but they were handed over. There were envelopes. The defense admits that Talanksy paid for a hotel. It has also been agreed that Talansky transferred NIS 40,000 (about $10,600) to Olmert's account," Abarbanel said.
"We will prove that a sum of $300,000 was passed on in order to cover a debt that Olmert owed him personally," the prosecution continued.
Upon his arrival at the courthouse, Olmert said, "A few months ago, I arrived here a man innocent of any crime, and I believe that I will leave here a man innocent of any crime. Today the time of bombastic declarations, plastic descriptions, and attacks that have been part of the public atmosphere for the past two years is over. The facts will be made clear in court. What we know and believe will be heard here."
'Bombastic statements to be put to rest'
Olmert and his former office chief, Shula Zaken, stood together and chatted as they entered the court. Olmert's lawyer, Attorney Eli Zohar, said, "From here on in, I intend for only the evidence to speak. I hope and believe that the trial will be run quickly and efficiently." Zohar also said that the temporary suspension of the head of the prosecution, Attorney Uri Korev, "should not affect the trial."Olmert is indicted for allegedly receiving funds illegally in the Rishontours double-billing case, receiving money envelopes from Morris Talansky, and conflict of interest in the Investment Center case.
The serious and unprecedented indictment filed against the former prime minister includes charges of fraud, breach of trust, falsifying corporate records and tax evasion, as well as a charge of fraudulently obtaining benefits to which the State attributes aggravated circumstances.
His former office manager, Shula Zaken, is being tried alongside him. Zaken will face charges of falsifying corporate records, fraudulently obtaining benefits, fraud and breach of trust, as well as illegal wiretapping.
Olmert's media advisor, Amir Dan, said Wednesday, "This is an indictment full of slogans. Everything has been thrown at him with the hopes that something will come out of it in the end. Now the stage has finally arrived in which the slogans and tendentious media leaks will not be enough. Now the facts rule, and when they are examined, we have no doubt that the picture will change entirely."
The trial is expected to stretch over many months – between a year to a year and a half, according to some estimates. Nearly 300 witnesses will be put on the stand in the trial.
