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Court rejects petition to keep Talansky in Israel for further questioning
By Ofra Edelman, Haaretz Correspondent

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The petition was opposed by Talansky's attorney, who said of his client in response that, "Here is a man who has made a hard effort. But now the possibility of keeping him here for another period of time is not a possibility that exists, from our point of view."

However, the court did rule that Talansky's cross-examination, which entered its fourth day on Monday, would continue on August 31 and September 1. In addition to this, Talansky will also be questioned on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Olmert on Monday submitted an urgent complaint to Attorney General Menachem Mazuz on Monday about the leaking of police documents from the investigation to the media.

Olmert's lawyer, Eli Zohar, requested that Mazuz open a police investigation immediately in order to locate the source of the leak. In a letter to Mazuz, Zohar wrote that "the leaking of the investigation of the PM has crossed every boundary."

The prime minister's complain came after the Israeli newspaper Maariv published documents on Sunday showing that Olmert told investigators from the National Fraud Investigation Unit no less than 58 times that he either did not know the answer to their questions or that he did not remember the development of events.

Olmert's attorneys to Talansky: We can prove you lied about transfers

Earlier in the day, the premier's lawyers confronted Talansky saying that despite his insistent denials, they had proof he ordered the transfer of funds into Olmert's accounts.

Olmert's lawyer Navot Tel-Tzur presented Talansky with a document, signed by him, ordering the transfer of $100,000 into the trust account in the name of Olmert's former close associate Uri Messer. Talansky has repeatedly denied any knowledge of such transfers throughout the investigation.

Tel-Tzur confronted the witness, saying "now Mr. Talansky, I will not let this pass. I will not have you spreading statements. Here, in this courtroom, you told these judges 'I want to see the original document. Who signed it? Because I have certain suspicions.' You gave the original order!"

Talansky responded that he did not remember having signed the document.

Tel-Tzur then presented Talansky with a copy of the correspondence between himself and the bank manager asking for a total of $210,000 to be transferred in various transactions into Messer's account and his own account.

Olmert's defense team argued that Talansky had split the transfer orders into two different days due to limitations imposed by the U.S. money laundering laws that require banks to report money transfers over a certain amount.

The defense attorney stressed that the police had obtained the document as early as May 19 but the prosecution maintained that they had received a copy on June 3 and therefore was not presented to Talansky in his initial questioning.

Tel-Tzur also complained Monday at the start of the hearing that the "unprecedented publication" of details from the investigation "borders on obstruction of justice and we urge the state prosecution to take action and put an end to this phenomenon."

Lador agreed with Tel-Tzur, saying the leaks were indicative of a grave phenomenon. "This is something that we experience in other investigations as well. If we find the source of the leaks, we will take all the necessary steps against them. I want to say that I don't think the leaked materials came from a public servant, policeman or anyone in the state prosecution," he said.

On Sunday, Olmert's attorneys played video clips from police interrogations that showed Talansky changing his account of sums he said he had given Olmert.

Asked to explain the discrepancies, Talansky said they stemmed from "a state of confusion and fear" during police questioning - and he insisted figures he had given originally had been accurate.

"I'd appreciate if you didn't call me a liar," Talansky told Olmert attorney Eli Zohar after the lawyer asked whether his testimony "is a truth or a lie."

Talansky previously told police he gave Olmert $150,000, much of it in cash-filled envelopes, before Olmert became prime minister in 2006. Both Olmert and Talansky have denied any wrongdoing.

The focus of Sunday's cross-examination was a $25,000 payment Talansky told police in May was meant to finance an Olmert family vacation to Italy and a $72,500 Talansky described as a donation to Olmert's election campaign.

Olmert's lawyers showed video clips from police interrogations showing Talansky changing his account of the sums he gave, even within the space of a single police session.

Zohar accused Talansky of telling police what they wanted to hear so they would stop intimidating him.

Talansky, who has complained in court several times about police browbeating, explained the discrepancies in his statements as an outgrowth of "a state of confusion and fear" and "a state of agitation."

"They created a total atmosphere of illogical thinking," said Talansky. His statements to police under those circumstances, he said, "were words, not things thought out."

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      1.   Where`s My Cut? 03:52  |  Jeff Northridge 21/07/08
      2.   Lawyers are Liars 04:26  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 21/07/08
      3.   Life of Lowlife 05:21  |  17 21/07/08
      4.   Doesn`t make a difference others saw envelopes full of cash 05:31  |  Dish It Out 21/07/08
      5.   Talansky can`t remember 06:22  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 21/07/08
      6.   Nuts, Fools and Loons 07:36  |  guy 21/07/08
      7.   I Can Forgive Olmert 08:13  |  Jesus 21/07/08
      8.   Is this Case l a GAME which END HAS ALREADY BEEN DECIDED 09:11  |  Dagma 21/07/08
      9.   THIS CASE IS VERY `FISHY`.......IT HAS ALREADY BEEN DECIDED 09:41  |  justiceforall 21/07/08
      10.   Against the lawyers.... ?! 09:56  |  Esther 21/07/08
      11.   The Game`s Up! 09:58  |  Dolly 21/07/08
      12.   For Cipora #5 10:07  |  Esther 21/07/08
      13.   Is Israel being led by a MAFIA BOSS? 10:18  |  Jeremy Kohn 21/07/08
      14.   It is simply 10:36  |  Nadav 21/07/08
      15.   Something Is Very Wrong Here 11:34  |  Martin 21/07/08
      16.   #12, Esther, never forget 11:49  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 21/07/08
      17.   We can prove you lied ..... 11:51  |  Ralph 21/07/08
      18.   Olmert`s defence team is burying Olmert 11:52  |  redmike 21/07/08
      19.   A Game and the Players are the Lawyers of the Judicary.... 12:06  |  The Threadmill 21/07/08
      20.   ESTHER @ 12 - You are so right. 12:13  |  Jeremy Kohn 21/07/08
      21.   Re Jeremy #20 12:48  |  Esther 21/07/08
      22.   To redmike # 18 - Seeing is believing..... 12:49  |  Dolly 21/07/08
      23.   Wish Israel had someone like Gordon Brown 12:54  |  netta 21/07/08
      24.   Talansky Not a `malleable` Witness but an aging old man.... 13:12  |  Natasha 21/07/08
      25.   Olmert - guilty until proved innocent 13:13  |  michael cohen 21/07/08
      26.   A Case which is ALL BUT OVER...... 13:17  |  Dagma 21/07/08
      27.   Godfather Olmert, Please ........ 13:22  |  Jeremy Kohn 21/07/08
      28.   # 12 to esther re: conspiracies 13:28  |  eric 21/07/08
      29.   To eric # 28 - No more Stringsd ti pull, sorry..... 13:42  |  charlie 21/07/08
      30.   Deri missed these lawyers 14:33  |  Yosef 21/07/08
      31.   Re eric #28 16:52  |  Esther 21/07/08
      32.   #24 - Olmert doesn`t remember things either .. 19:42  |  redmike 21/07/08
      33.   With or Without "Authorization" Transfers = MONEY LAUNDERING 20:22  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 21/07/08
      34.   eric,you couldnt even comprehend an article where it STATED, 22:34  |  terrornator 21/07/08
      35.   # 29 to charlie re: loose strings... 05:51  |  eric 23/07/08
      36.   # 31 to esther re: conspiracy or no conspiracy 06:02  |  eric 23/07/08
      37.   # 34 well hello there tootelator! 06:30  |  eric 23/07/08
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