Morris Talansky
Photo: Guy Asayag
Did Olmert order speed bumps installed near home of Talansky's son?
Police trying to determine what Jewish American businessman received in return for cash he transferred to PM; Yedioth Ahronoth reports investigators also checking whether Olmert promoted rezoning of Jerusalem land for benefit of Talansky's associates
After Morris (Moshe) Talansky testified to transferring envelopes full of cash to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, police are now trying to determine what the American businessman and donor asked received in return.
Corruption Affair
Businessman linked to Olmert corruption allegations questioned under caution while police raid Jerusalem Municipality offices in search of incriminating records
Among the possibilities investigators are looking into is that at some point during his tenure as mayor of Jerusalem between 1993 and 2003 Olmert ordered the installation of speed bumps near the home of Talansky's son, Yitzhak, in the Har-Nof neighborhood in the capital.
The order was given, police suspect, after the Jewish businessman complained that speeding drivers were endangering his son's family.
The prime minister is suspected of illegally accepting large sums of cash from Talansky during his tenure as mayor of Jerusalem and later as minister of industry, trade and labor.
Police will continue to summon additional witnesses who will hopefully shed light on the affair. Among those who have already been asked to testify is Jewish-American billionaire Sheldon Adelson, this after it became known that Talansky asked that Olmert assist him in promoting a mini-bar venture. According to Talansky's testimony, Olmert was supposed to pitch the project to Adelson, who owns a number of luxury hotels.
On Monday Talansky was questioned under caution for several hours at the headquarters of the National Fraud Investigations Unit regarding documents seized by police during a raid of Jerusalem Municipality offices.
Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Tuesday that investigators are also looking into the possibility that Olmert, during his tenure as mayor of Jerusalem and later as minister of industry, trade and labor promoted the rezoning of lands in Jerusalem for the benefit of Talansky's associates.
Talansky, for his part, has claimed that he does not own any land in Israel.
