Lawyers for American businessman Morris Talansky informed the Justice Ministry Thursday evening that a criminal probe against him in the United States precludes his planned return to Israel to continue cross examination in the cash envelopes affair involving Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
The Prime Minister's lawyers latched on to the announcement as evidence that the government's case against Olmert is crumbling. The police say Talansky's absence won't affect the investigation.
Talansky's senior lawyer Jacqueline Chen explained that further testimony in Israel could incriminate her client in the parallel investigation in the U.S. The businessman previously has testified that he transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash either directly to Prime Minister Olmert or through his top lawyer and friend Uri Messer or his former senior aide Shula Zaken.
Talansky went through a grueling five-day cross-examination by the prime minister's lawyers last month. His previous testimony complicated Prime Minister Olmert's precarious political position, leading Olmert to announcing he will step down from office after new leadership elections within the Kadima party next month. The labor party, Olmert's largest coalition partner, threatened to quit the government unless the prime minister agreed to new Kadima party primaries.
Police investigators have vowed they have enough evidence to indict Prime Minister Olmert. His lawyers claim that Talansky and the police conspired against their client. The State Prosecutor and police also are investigating Prime Minister Olmert in other cases without any connection to Talansky and which may conclude in additional indictments.