The third day of the Holyland trial opened today at the Tel Aviv District Court, under Judge David Rosen, with the continued testimony of the state's witness, SD. He said, "Olmert said that he relies on us."
Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was mayor of Jerusalem at the time of the Holyland real estate project scandal. The State Prosecutor accuses the project's developers of bribing Jerusalem municipality officials with millions of shekels to promote the project.
SD told the court that former Jerusalem City Engineer Uri Sheetrit, who was appointed by Olmert in November 2000, initially opposed the Holyland project, until he was bribed to change his mind. "I met Sheetrit, who asked for NIS 500,000-600,000. I initially gave him a check for NIS 130,000, and we discussed the urban building plan for the project, which had been submitted to the local planning commission. Sheetrit changed it after receiving payment," said SD.
Prosecutor Adv. Liat Ben-Ari submitted as evidence to the court four checks totaling NIS 50,000 that SD gave Shula Zaken, Olmert's bureau chief, from January 2003. SD said that the money was for Olmert. "Ms. Zaken called me and asked if he could give her the money. This was after Olmert was elected to the Knesset. She said that she needed the money for Olmert because of his deficits."
SD testified, "Sheetrit asked me to help with a NIS 1.1 million debt to Bank Hapoalim. I asked Dan Dankner, the bank's chairman at the time, to help Sheetrit out. Meir Rabin arranged it with Dan Dankner, and the bank ultimately forgave 50-75% of Sheetrit's debt."
Asked by Judge Rosen why Dan Dankner intervened, SD said, "At the time, Dankner needed Meir Rabin (SD's right-hand man and a defendant in the trial) to arrange a very important matter at the Israel Land Authority, so he helped Sheetrit."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 3, 2012
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