Police recommend indicting Attorney Uri Messer
In addition to recommendation to indict prime minister on corruption charges, police appeal to State Prosecutor's Office to charge Olmert's former associate with assisting bribery, fraud over his involvement in Talansky affair
Police have recommended that the State Prosecutor's Office indict Attorney Uri Messer, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's former associate, on charges of involvement in the Talansky affair, Ynet learned Monday.
Aides to Messer told Ynet that if the police recommended that the attorney be indicted in order to convince him to sign a state's witness agreement, "they were wrong." According to the associates, no one had tried to convince Messer to serve as a state's witness.
Messer's lawyer, Attorney Zvi Agmon, said in response to the police recommendation, "I have a lot of respect and appreciation for the police's work, but they also make mistakes sometimes, like in the current case."
Moshe Talansky, an American businessman, is believed to have transferred thousands of dollars in illicit funds to Olmert under the guise of campaign donations during the latter's tenure as Jerusalem mayor and as industry, trade and labor minister.
Police discovered that during Olmert's tenure as industry, trade and labor minister, Messer was responsible for holding thousands of dollars in cash for him, at first in Messer's office and later in a safe deposit box at Bank Leumi.
The stash served as a source of petty cash and Messer was requested to transfer sums to Olmert's former bureau chief, Shula Zaken, from time to time.
Last month, in a special press conference statement, Olmert claimed that all funds gathered by Talansky “were transferred to Attorney Uri Messer, who collected the funds.” Olmert added at the time that he has full faith that Messer had “lawfully handled the funds.”
The recommendation against Messer was made shortly after police asserted that there was sufficient evidence to indict the prime minister himself on charges of accepting bribes, fraud, breach of trust by a public servant and several offenses pertaining to money laundering.
Police also submitted an indictment recommendation against Zaken, who is thought to have been heavily involved in the affair.
Aviad Glickman contributed to this report
