The Jerusalem District Court on Monday morning 10 Nissan handed down a conviction against former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in the Talansky cash envelopes case. The former PM was acquitted over two years ago, but the case was reopened after it was decided to permit the prosecution to submit new evidence in the case. Over seven months since the case was reopened, a conviction was announced this morning.

The key to the prosecution was the testimony given by former Olmert confidant Shula Zaken, who was his aide and personal assistant for decades. She decided to turn state witness after realizing the former prime minister tried extricate himself from the legal dilemma but placing the blame for law-breaking on her.

The recordings heard by the court seems to have proven that Olmert used the cash given to him by Talansky for his own personal use despite statements to the contrary in his earlier trial. The sum involved is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)