Ehud Olmert's attorneys began cross-examining a key state witness Thursday, whose allegations that Olmert accepted cash in envelopes from him have threatened the Israeli premier's political future, reported dpa.
Throughout their questioning of Morris Talansky the attorneys tried to expose inaccuracies, suggesting the former close relation of the premier may have "invented" stories.
Talansky said he gave Olmert at least 150,000 US dollars over 15 years and that the then-Jerusalem mayor and cabinet minister used part of it for private purposes, including for hotel rooms, upgrading flights from business to first class and even for a private family holiday in Italy.
Olmert has been under pressure to resign since the allegations against him were first exposed in early May. They have also hurt the Israeli premier's efforts to reach a framework peace agreement with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas by the end of 2008.
But throughout the first, seven-hour, day in which they questioned Talansky, Olmert's lawyers attempted to expose accuracies in his account and tried to paint the Jewish fundraiser and businessman from Long Island as unreliable.
The pre-trial cross-examination in Jerusalem's District Court is expected to last five days. It comes seven weeks after Talansky gave his own early deposition to the court.
Olmert has not denied receiving money from the fundraiser, but vowed he had not put a "dime in my own pocket" and said he used it for election campaigns and for legitimate travel and accomodation expenses, reimbursed via Talansky by hosts who had asked him to speak at events in the US.
Attorney Eli Zohar asked Talansky Thursday about dates and locations of events, and of money transfers and their amounts. When the witness answered he could not be expected to remember every single one, the attorney countered: "You remember things from 15 years ago."
Talansky said that about his own money, he was accurate, but about other people's money, passed on as donations, he was not precise. "It wasn't my money," he said.
Zohar also asked Talansky, 75, if he talked to prosecutors about whether he might be a suspect in the case.
When he replied "no," Zohar then played him a tape demonstrating that he did talk about it with prosecutors.
Talansky acknowledged that he may have remembered some events incorrectly and that some details in has account may have been wrong, but said that in general his version was accurate, he did not "invent stories," and he had told the truth.
Zohar had said before the session that his team's approach would not be "militant." But he said, "It's a counter-questioning. A counter questioning is not a morning stroll."
"We are going to find out the truth," he told reporters at the court, adding his team had gathered "a lot of information" in Israel and abroad with which they would confront the witness.
The police investigation against Olmert in the case is still ongoing and no trial has started, but the preliminary hearings are held because Talansky is a foreign resident and prosecutors have said they have no guarantee they will be able to summon him if and when a trial starts.
State Prosecutor Moshe Lador said a decision on whether to file an indictment would be made only after police completed their probe. He said he hoped that would happen "in not very much time."
Olmert has promised to resign if an indictment is filed against him. Law enforcement officials have told Israeli media on condition of anonymity that an indictment is likely, and that the premier could face charges ranging from bribe-taking, to fraud, breach of trust,money laundering and violation of Israel's party funding law.
Police are investigating whether Olmert had given quid-pro-quo in return for the money he took from Talansky.
Olmert accepted the money in the years before he was elected prime minister in March 2006.
The embattled premier's associates had hoped that the cross- examination would shift public opinion in his favour and reduce pressure on him to resign.
But last Friday, Israeli police and the justice ministry exposed new, serious suspicions which had surfaced during the investigation against the premier.
According to a statement issued by the ministry, Olmert allegedly submitted receipts for the same journey abroad as mayor of Jerusalem and as trade and industry ministry, to different bodies, including to the state and to such organizations as the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial institute and the Wiesethal Nazi hunters centre.
The extra money he allegedly accumulated in a special account managed by his travel agent, which he used for private travel for himself and his family. dpa ok ds jab