The trial of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will be suspended for one month, and proceedings will be renewed on May 6th. A Jersualem court reached that decision today, following a request by prosecutors to change the order of testimonies and proceedings. The judges ruled that the order will be changed, and that the first testimonies that will be heard will be those related to the "Rishontours" affair, as a recently revealed investigation into the Holyland real estate development continues.
The developments in the investigation into the Holyland complex affair were the reason for Tuesday's surprise request by the prosecution in former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's trial to change the order of testimonies and issues deliberated by the court. The connection can be reported after a gag order was partially lifted in the Holyland case.
Before today's court deliberations, Olmert defense attorney Adv. Eli Zohar said, "Along with you, I have experienced several affairs like this which began with great fanfare and ended very quietly. My hope is that this affair will also end that way. In the court you will hear our case, including the fact that there is a trial underway whose order was set in the beginning, and at the same time there is something else underway which complicates the ability to conduct the trial properly. Olmert is currently abroad, and when he finishes his plans there, sometime at the end of next week, he will return to Israel."
Zohar was asked if Olmert is expected to be arrested when he returns to Israel, and answered, "I do not consider it, there is no reason that something like that should happen."
When the trial began again this morning, defense attorneys asked that the trial be halted until the end of the investigation into the Holyland complex affair, which shares aspects with the Olmert trial.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 8, 2010
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