Prosecution closes corruption case against Olmert confidant Messer

Uri Messer, the close confidant and attorney of former prime minister Ehud Olmert, will not be charged in the investment center corruption affair, the State Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday.

The investment center affair, which was first reported in Haaretz, concerned allegations that during his term as minister of industry and trade, Olmert granted personal favors to Messer, who was acting on behalf of a company, an act which would constitute a conflict of interest, breach of trust, and fraud. The affair has been included in a serious corruption indictment filed against Olmert.

The case against Messer was closed due to lack of sufficient evidence.

Jerusalem District prosecutor attorney Eli Abarbanel wrote that during Olmert's term as industry and labor minister, when he was in charge of the investment center among other things, Messer represented clients who maintained business contacts with the investment center, and he arranged meetings between his clients and Olmert. Abarbanel added that Olmert intervened in the running of the center in favor of Messer's clients, and even changed decisions of senior officials in favor of these clients.

In three cases, Abarbanel added, suspicion was raised regarding inappropriate dealings between Olmert and Messer in efforts to advance the interests of Messer's clients at the expense of the public.

However, the prosecution ruled that it was impossible to prove the suspicion that Messer bribed Olmert. "Over the years, the close long-tern relationship between the two manifested itself in a variety of ways that Messer helped Olmert," Abarbanel wrote. "In light of said friendship, it is impossible to sufficiently prove in a criminal court that the various forms of help Messer offered Olmert were given as a bribe, necessarily."

In regard to fraud and breach of trust, the prosecution said that these crimes can be attributed to public figures, but not private business people. "There is a string of distinctions, in the case before us, between a public servant ? labor and industry minister, in our case ? and a citizen working together with a public servant. These distinctions justify putting Olmert on trial and closing the case against Messer," the prosecution wrote.