Speaking to Channel 2 TV News shortly after the Holyland verdict, attorney Ronen Matlon, who represents Dr. Yossi Olmert, explained his client’s feelings. Matlon stated his client, who is former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s brother, is in the United States and he is most distraught after hearing the severe verdict.
Matlon feels the verdict was extreme, explaining that he would not call it a miscarriage of justice, but preferred to sidestep a direct attack against Justice David Rosen. Matlon stated that every judge has his own personal opinion and this weighs into his interpretation of evidence in a case. He believes that in this case the state lacked true hard evidence and the court’s interpretation of the actions of the defendants weighed in too heavy since the physical evidence was lacking. He is hopeful that the picture will change following an appeal to the Supreme Court. Matlon added Dr. Olmert stated his brother Ehud at no time was connected to any of the dealings that tie him to the case.
Olmert stood accused of accepting bribe money which was later transferred to his brother in the USA. Dr. Yossi Olmert fled Israel due to staggering debts to less than pristine individuals and his brother was believed to have taken large sums to assist him in paying his debts.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
its ok. based on other israeli politicians he will be back and running his party before you know it.
According to this report, Dr. Yossi Olmert has not disputed that bribes were paid to him. The judge who sentenced Dr. Olmert’s brother reasoned, reasonably, that payments to a brother of a public official could be a violation of anti-bribery laws by the official. Dr. Olmert’s support of his brother tends to support the judge’s conclusion that the brotherly relationship is strong enough to impute the payments to the official’s brother to the official official.
Sounds good to me. Talmud is very clear on bribery. Isreal must move closer to the part of the world where bribery is the criminal exception, not the unstated rule.