BREAKING NEWS

Court to announce verdicts in Olmert's corruption affairs

By YONAH BOB

JULY 1, 2012 17:56

The verdict in former prime minister Ehud Olmert’s “Rish Tours affair,” “the cash envelopes affair” and allegations that he illegally favored persons he was connected to while a government minister will be rendered on July 10, the Jerusalem District Court announced through a spokesman on Sunday.

Although the affairs involve some different alleged illegalities, they were all filed as part of the same corruption case by the state prosecutor.

In the first matter, dubbed the Rishon Tours affair, Olmert was accused of double-billing philanthropic organizations for his travel expenses and using the excess funds to sponsor flight tickets for his family and upgrades for himself.

Olmert is also accused of having received hundreds of thousands of dollars, in cash, from US businessman Moshe Talansky in what’s been dubbed “the cash envelopes affair.”

The former prime minister also faces allegations of wrong-doing in the running of the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry’s Investment Center. Olmert was accused by the state attorney’s office of favoring business clients of his friend and former partner Uri Messer, who applied to the Investment Center for state grants and other benefits.

The court will also render at the same hearing a verdict on the allegations filed against Olmert’s former bureau chief, Shula Zaken. The announcement was made on the same day that the heart of the Holyland trial, which also involves Olmert and 15 other defendants, began with the opening testimony of the state’s main witness. Olmert’s spokesman had no comment on either the announcement or the fact that it was announced the same day that the Holyland trial started in earnest.

Joanna Paraszczuk contributed to this report.

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