13:55 IL: The Tel Aviv District Court moments ago accepted the plea bargain agreement with the state’s star witness in the Holyland real estate trial, Shula Zaken.

Justice David Rosen announced on Thursday afternoon 15 Iyar that he accepts the deal which led to Zaken assisting the prosecution in the case against former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other defendants in the case. Olmert and the others were sentenced earlier in the week with the former prime minister sent to prison for six years.

Zaken told the court that she was instructed to lie for Olmert, and ultimately he turned against her to save himself. She spoke of her feeling of betrayal, leading to her decision to turn against her former employer. Zaken was Olmert’s personnel assistant and close confidant for decades. When entering the court she announced she relies on HKBH and none other, and that she was on her way to Meron to thank HKBH for all he has done for her. In line with the agreement accepted by the court, she will begin serving an 11-month prison term on September 1, 2014.

The sentencing of the last two defendants in the case, Uri Lupoliansky and Avraham Fein is scheduled for June.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)