Will Olmert be detained?
Photo: Ohad Zoigenberg
Holyland case: Ex-mayors to face off
Ehud Olmert, Uri Lupolianski accuse each other of facilitating corrupt real estate project; law enforcement officials tell Ynet that despite Olmert's claims, they possess solid evidence in case
An interrogation room faceoff: Former Jerusalem mayors Ehud Olmert and Uri Lupolianski are expected to be faced off by police investigators looking into the Holyland corruption scandal, an official involved in the probe told Ynet late Thursday.
"The investigators are expected to face them off because each one of them says the other is responsible," the source said.
Following reports Thursday that the ex-Prime Minister Olmert is one of the major suspects in the bribery affair, the former PM denied his involvement in the scandal in a special press conference. However, investigators were unimpressed by his comments.
Holyland project (Photo: Reuters)
A senior law enforcement official told Ynet that Olmert addressed the period he served as mayor, yet "forgot" that some of the suspicions refer to the time he served as the Industry, Trade, and Employment minister.
"Does the very fact he did not address that period show that he also knows he's responsible?" the official wondered.
Will Olmert be detained?
Another official involved in the investigation said that as opposed to Olmert's claims, police possess solid evidence and documents, adding that Olmert is expected to be confronted by the documents during his upcoming interrogation.Olmert will have trouble refuting the materials held by the investigative team, the source said.
Another source stated that "Olmert looked stressed in his speech," adding that some of the other suspects have been spilling the beans in the interrogation room. However, police have not yet decided whether to arrest Olmert, he said.
"In order to arrest a former prime minister, we need solid and powerful evidence," he said. "For the time being materials are being accumulated, yet only after his interrogation…the investigative team will know whether there's high likelihood of Olmert being detained."
