Police to question Israeli premier on "money envelopes" affair

Middle East News

Jul 8, 2008, 11:09 GMT

Jerusalem - Israeli police are to question Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for a third time Friday on suspicions that he illegally accepted tens or hundreds of thousands of US dollars from a US fundraiser. The questioning is to start at his Jerusalem residence at 10 am (0800 GMT) Friday, Police Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. The premier was first questioned on the affair in early May. A Jerusalem court in late May heard a pre-trial testimony by the key state witness in the affair, Morris Talansky. The Jewish fundraiser and businessman from Long Island has said he gave the money to Olmert between 1992 and 2005, much of it in cash, in envelopes. During the period, Olmert was mayor of Jerusalem and then a cabinet minister for the hardline Likud part. Talansky has said he raised the money for ideological reasons, but that Olmert used much of it for private purposes, including a family vacation in Italy, upgrading flights from business to first class and covering hotel costs while on lobby trips in the US. The Israeli premier has insisted he has used all of the money to retroactively cover debts from election campaigns. Police are investigating whether a future quid-pro-quo was expected in return for the donations. The affair has cast serious doubt on Olmert's political future. The premier's largest coalition partner, the Labour Party, has forced Olmert to agree to holding early primaries in his own, centrist Kadima party no later than September 25. Olmert's lawyers are scheduled to cross-examine Talansky on July 17. The premier hopes that cross-examination will create a positive shift for his image and reduce the pressure on him to step down. He has nevertheless promised to resign if the police investigation materializes into an indictment against him.

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Police to question Israeli premier on "money envelopes" affair

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