Former bureau chief: Police toppled Olmert for nothing

It breaks my heart to see what Ehud is going through, said Shula Zaken, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's former bureau chief, in a Yedioth Ahronoth interview published Wednesday.

Zaken served as Olmert's bureau chief for 30 years before being ordered by the court to take a leave of absence in 2007. She is currently under police investigation for her alleged involvement in the Tax Authority corruption scandal and her possible involvement in the Talansky Affair.

Zaken, who has been forbidden to contact the prime minister or any of his associates, has reserved the right to remain silent during her numerous interrogation sessions, and has pledged to stand by the man she has worked for from the age of 17.

Stand by your boss. Zaken and Olmert (Archive photo: Shlomi Cohen)

She is heartbroken about the way both Olmert and she have been treated by the law enforcement authorities, she says, and she has a lot to say about what she calls the "miscarriage of justice" inflicted in her case.

"The police, backed by the State Prosecutor's Office, have been tapping my phone calls for the past 10 months. They practically forced me to stay home. Why? If you have to investigate – investigate. If you find a reason to indict – go ahead and indict, but to run to the media first? That's a miscarriage of justice."

The police and the State Prosecution, she adds, have climbed a very tall tree with their recommendation to indict Olmert.

"They've impeached a prime minister for nothing," she concludes.