Ex-aide implicates Olmert in travel rip-off

Former PM's aide during his term as Jerusalem mayor describes funding scam

Omri Efraim|Published: 03.10.11 , 00:07

A former aide to ex-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who worked for him during his term as Jerusalem mayor, offered testimony Wednesday that appears to incriminate the former PM and his bureau chief, Shula Zaken.

Rachel Mor offered her testimony to the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court via a New York video conference call.

Mor worked at Olmert's office in 1995-1996 and served, among other functions, as the travel coordinator at the bureau. In her testimony, she contradicted the accounts provided by Olmert and Zaken, who claimed they were not involved in issuing invoices pertaining to the former PM's trips abroad.

Mor claimed she received her orders from Zaken and issued invoices for the same trip to several organizations in order to receive more funds for covering Olmert's travels.

The witness said both Zaken and Olmert addressed her regarding the issue of invoices, and that in some cases she sent invoices for roundtrip fares to two organizations in the same city.

Mor said that in some cases, various organizations turned to her and were upset about the amounts in the invoices because they knew Olmert was invited by other groups as well. In such cases, she said, Zaken instructed her to insist these were the sums. In one case, Mor said, Zaken told her not to worry as the extra sums were earmarked for Jerusalem's welfare.

Mor added that in one case she discussed the issue with Olmert, who told her that she can inform concerned organizations that they can go ahead and not pay, and that he will not be arriving then.

Olmert's media advisor, Amir Dan, issued the following statement: "It is no surprise that the prosecutors chose to summon a witness who worked with Olmert 15 years ago and who has no connection to the period mentioned in the indictment; on the other hand, the prosecutors try to hide the previous travel coordinator, Rachel Risby-Raz, who worked for five years and told police she never saw the acts described in the indictment. When the defense team's turn to summon witnesses arrives, the picture will wholly change."