Police have launched an obstruction of justice investigation against former prime minister Ehud Olmert, just days after his conviction for bribery in the Holyland affair.
The investigation will look into claims by former Olmert aide Shula Zaken, who asked to turn state’s witness against Olmert last week in the Holyland trial, that the embattled ex-PM attempted to hamper the investigation into the corrupt dealings for which he was convicted on Monday.
Zaken had attempted to parlay evidence in her possession, including tapes she claimed would prove the obstruction allegation, in exchange for a plea bargain that would reduce her sentence for her part in the Holyland case. Zaken was convicted in the Holyland case this week, alongside Olmert and 11 other defendants.
Tel Aviv District Court Judge David Rozen, who convicted Olmert and Zaken, decided not to wait for the obstruction evidence and delivered the verdict on Monday.
But state prosecutors and police now want to follow up on Zaken’s evidence, and met with Zaken on Thursday in the offices of the National Fraud Unit in Lod, Walla reported.
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Olmert is expected to meet with the investigators next week to respond to the evidence and allegations.
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