Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was seeking to fly to Kazakhstan where he was going to lobby that nation’s president to close a deal involving an Israeli company owned by the USA and Kazakhstan. Realizing that Mr. Olmert maintains a good relationship with the president, he was going to be paid to close a deal involving a classified project.

However after he was convicted and sentenced on criminal charges the Americans asked to have Olmert distanced from the deal. This deal appears to be the reason Mr. Olmert asked permission to fly abroad in July, but that request was turned down by Tel Aviv District Court Judge David Rosen.

Officials in the Defense Ministry declined comment as did the American company and Mr. Olmert.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)