Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who Thursday night assured the nation that he never stole an agora, is now contemplating a petition to the High Court of Justice to eliminate the state’s key witness. Olmert is not immediately challenging the facts in the case, but the process permitting the state to build its case against him.

Olmert attorneys feel that the Jerusalem District Court decision permitting the state to obtain testimony in advance from key witness Morris Talansky all but assures the prime minister that he cannot have a fair trial if indicted. Attorneys explain that the testimony taken in advance of a criminal indictment taints the atmosphere and eliminates any chance of judicial prudence, seeking to disqualify the key witness’ testimony in the affair.

Speaking to his legal team headed by Eli Zohar, Olmert was quoted as saying, “Who am I, Tony Soprano from the Mafia? How dare they use such a process against me!”

Olmert rejected prosecution fears that Talansky will not be available to give court testimony in the future, stating his life surrounds his children and grandchildren in Israel. “There are also methods to obtain his testimony [in the future] in the United States”.

Olmert also lashed out angrily against a reported statement made by State Prosecutor Moshe Lador, telling the Jerusalem District Court that Talansky fears “Olmert may find a way to get at him,” using this as part of the argument to persuade the court to permit the testimony in advance.

Lador told the court that he never had fears that Olmert or Shula Zaken would ever take steps towards influencing Talansky or the case but the fears are the legitimate subjective fears of the witness, fears that in the future may persuade him not to return to Israel to avoid giving courtroom testimony.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)