No indictment will be filed against former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert aide Adv. Uri Messer in the Holyland case, the Jerusalem district attorney told the Jerusalem District Court today during the trial against Olmert and his former chief of staff Shula Zaken.
The district attorney accepted the recommendation of the Israel Police from ten weeks ago.
After completing the investigation into the Holyland case, the police recommended indicting many of the parties involved, but found insufficient evidentiary grounds for indicting Messer on the accusations against him. The district attorney has therefore closed the case against him.
The decision comes after the district attorney closed the case against Messer in the Talansky and Investment Promotion Center cases in November 2009. The district attorney closed Messer's file the Holyland case after reviewing evident gathered against him in the case, as well as material gathered against him in the earlier cases.
The district attorney had to make a decision quickly in the Messer case, since he is a witness for the prosecution against Olmert and Zaken, and it was necessary to decide whether Messer should be indicted before he gave testimony.
A few months ago, Ometz - Citizens for Proper Administration, Judicial and Social Justice petitioned the High Court of Justice to order the Jerusalem district attorney to indict Messer in the Talansky case. Ometz said that Messer was a partner in the alleged crimes committed by Olmert, including abetting in concealing the illicit proceeds. Ometz also argued that even if Messer was not a public official, he should be indicted for alleged serious crimes and for severely damaging the image of public service and the public's confidence in it.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 8, 2010
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2010