New recordings unveiled on Friday by Israel's Channel 10 News revealed former prime minister Ehud Olmert told his former aide Shula Zaken, that former prime minister and defense minister Ehud Barak accepted bribes worth "millions and tens of millions" of shekels in an arms deal.
Zaken is now serving an 11-month prison term at the Neve Tirza women's prison as part of a plea bargain she made to bring new charges against Olmert.
- The Talansky trial, named for Morris Talansky, an American-Jewish businessman suspected of funneling illegal funds to Olmert, was reopened on Monday morning ,two years after Olmert's acquittal .
"He took a bribe of millions and tens of millions. That insane man, he will end up in prison," Olmert tells Zaken in the recording, speaking of Barak.
In the conversation, which took place in the summer of 2011, Olmert claimed Barak accepted a bribe of millions in an arms deals that he was involved in.
"You know Barak asked for the Audi A8? You know why?" Olmert is heard asking Zaken in the recording. "Because I have an Audi. Just because of his jealously that I drive an Audi A8, that insane man wanted it. But he will end up in prison. Remember what I'm telling you Shula…" Olmert tells Zaken.
Later on in the conversation, Olmert is heard saying, "He took a bribe worth millions and tens of millions. There is no arms deal that Israel makes. Everyone is talking about it, everybody, everybody is talking about it…"
Zaken is heard asking Olmert in the conversation, "Where is the money?" to which Olmert responds, "He is hiding it…in Switzerland or in some lawyer's office. He transfers it to a company in which Barak's name does not appear."