State Prosecutor Moshe Lador told the High Court Monday that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert personally received thousands of dollars in cash from American businessman Morris Talansky and is suspected of fraud and breach of public trust. He made the comments in response to an appeal to the High Court by the Prime Minister's attorneys to force the police to postpone taking preliminary testimony from Talansky. They argued that they would not have enough time to cross-examine him before his departure to the United States. The High Court is holding the hearing at this hour, and a decision on the appeal is expected soon.
Lador estimated that it will be more apparent in the next several days the extent of the suspicions against the Prime Minister, and Israeli media have widely speculated that his time as leader of the government is running short.