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World Jewish News
AG closes real estate corruption case against Olmert
20.07.2009
Attorney General Menachem Mazuz has decided to close the corruption case against former prime minister Ehud Olmert over the purchase of a home on Cremieux Street in Jerusalem, citing lack of evidence, the Justice Ministry announced Monday.
The case was built around the suspicion that Olmert received a $500,000 kickback in the form of a significant discount on a Jerusalem home, in return for securing special building permits for the company that renovated the house, significantly increasing the profits from the project.
The affair was first reported by journalist Yoav Yitzhak and was subsequently investigated by the attorney general.
The house was built on 330 square meters and the project manager wanted to expand the area to 750 square meters. Several special permits from the Jerusalem municipality were required in order to achieve this expansion. The permits were granted. The Olmerts bought the house in October 2004 for $1.2 million, but the true value of the property is somewhere between $1.6 million and $1.8 million.
The Jerusalem District Prosecutor's Office reviewed the evidence in the case some four weeks ago, and recommended closing the case, as there was not enough evidence to convict.
Mazuz held a hearing on the affair with State Prosecutor Moshe Lador, his deputy, the Jerusalem district prosecutor and several other attorneys from the Jerusalem district prosecution and attorneys specializing in real estate law. The evidence and the Jerusalem District Prosecution's recommendation were reviewed and it was unanimously decided to close the case.
"Though the investigation did not supply answers to all the questions that the deal raised, the evidence gathered was not sufficient to prove the suspicion investigated," read Mazuz's official decision.
Источник: Haaretz
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