“It is difficult to prove bribery in the case of Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Ehud Olmert,” sources in the legal system said yesterday, referring to the possibility that Olmert might be indicted in the affair of the bribes allegedly given by contractor David Appel.
The indictment against Appel alleges that, at the end of 1999, he promised Olmert that he would “support him fully” in his Likud party leadership campaign. Olmert stood in the Likud primaries against Ariel Sharon, who also received pledges of support from Appel.
At the same time, Appel asked Olmert, who was then mayor of Jerusalem, to invite the mayor of Athens to visit, and to forge a sister-city alliance between Jerusalem and Athens. Appel wanted the visit in order to promote his Greek island construction project. Olmert agreed to Appel’s request.
According to the indictment, Appel expressed support for Olmert in order to induce him to accede to his request to invite the mayor of Athens. A few days after his conversation with Appel, Olmert sent an invitation to the mayor of Athens via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The indictment says that Appel financed a dinner at which Olmert hosted the mayor and his entourage at the King David Hotel. Most of the Israelis who attended the dinner were involved in Appel’s Greek island project. Appel himself did not attend, after the “Ha’aretz” daily exposed his connection to the dinner the very same day.
Sources in the legal system say that, in order to prove bribery, it will be necessary to prove the connection between Appel’s promise of support for Olmert and the invitation to the mayor of Athens. They say that the evidence does not point explicitly to such a connection. The police have recommended that Olmert should stand trial.
As far as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is concerned, as far as is known, there is no unanimity among the prosecutors dealing with the case as to whether the evidence is sufficient to indict him. In any event, a decision will only be taken after further questioning of Sharon, and after the documents held by his son Gilad are received.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on January 26, 2004