Last update - 00:00 29/07/2007
Ramon's associate Kunda won't be tried for harassing a witness
By Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondent
An associate of Vice Premier Haim Ramon will not be tried for commissioning private detectives to investigate the woman whom the Kadima member forcibly kissed last year, police said Sunday.
Ephraim Kunda was suspected of having paid the "Weitzman-Ya'ar" private investigations firm to follow the complainant referred to as "H," apparently in order to gather evidence that would undermine her credibility in court.
Police said that while the PI firm apparently infringed on the woman's privacy, no base of evidence existed against Kunda as they could not prove he was aware of the firm's alleged illegal activities.
In the wake of Haaretz's publication of the affair, Ramon released a statement in which he said that he was surprised by reports that a private investigations firm had been commissioned to look into the actions of "H."
Referring to Kunda, Ramon said he: "is like a brother to me. In the past year, which was the most difficult year of my life, I had to muster up my strength more than one in order to calm Kunda down. Sometimes I felt like he had taken the results of my trial to heart more than I had. Those close to him know that that results of my trial affected his health...although I do not condone that act, I am sure that Kunda's intentions were honorable and that his actions stemmed from the belief that I had been wronged by the entire affair, and that he strove to expose the truth as he knew it."