Inside lavish Holyland, marble floors and flowing fountainsOlmert announces date of return to Israel, denies connection to caseAccording to investigators, land developers allegedly paid large bribes to public officials to gain approval for projects built by the Holyland real estate company in Jerusalem and associated development projects in the North.A comprehensive media ban on the investigation was partially lifted by the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, allowing for some details of the affair to be publicized, though others remain under wraps.According to police suspicions, between 1999 and 2008, the Holyland company and other land development companies, then owned by businessman Hillel Charni, paid tens of millions of shekels in bribes to senior decision-makers.In one major alleged scam, key members of the Jerusalem Municipality,including members of its planning and construction committee, receivedlarge sums in exchange for their approval for the Holyland housingproject, which towers above the city’s Malha neighborhood.Bribesallegedly bought approval for additional units to be built at the site,with the enlarged Holyland development receiving final approval in 1999.Duringa lengthy remand hearing for the suspects on Tuesday evening, RishonLezion Magistrate Judge Avraham Haiman described the affair as “one ofthe most severe instances of public corruption in Israel’s history,which will send shock waves throughout the country and which has causedirreversible damage to the public interest.”Haiman described the Holyland towers as a “monstrosity,” a sentiment with which many Jerusalemites would agree.
Uri Messer's remand extended
Olmert confidant accused of involvement in real estate bribery scam.
Inside lavish Holyland, marble floors and flowing fountainsOlmert announces date of return to Israel, denies connection to caseAccording to investigators, land developers allegedly paid large bribes to public officials to gain approval for projects built by the Holyland real estate company in Jerusalem and associated development projects in the North.A comprehensive media ban on the investigation was partially lifted by the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, allowing for some details of the affair to be publicized, though others remain under wraps.According to police suspicions, between 1999 and 2008, the Holyland company and other land development companies, then owned by businessman Hillel Charni, paid tens of millions of shekels in bribes to senior decision-makers.In one major alleged scam, key members of the Jerusalem Municipality,including members of its planning and construction committee, receivedlarge sums in exchange for their approval for the Holyland housingproject, which towers above the city’s Malha neighborhood.Bribesallegedly bought approval for additional units to be built at the site,with the enlarged Holyland development receiving final approval in 1999.Duringa lengthy remand hearing for the suspects on Tuesday evening, RishonLezion Magistrate Judge Avraham Haiman described the affair as “one ofthe most severe instances of public corruption in Israel’s history,which will send shock waves throughout the country and which has causedirreversible damage to the public interest.”Haiman described the Holyland towers as a “monstrosity,” a sentiment with which many Jerusalemites would agree.