Olmert aide released after seven months in prison

Former prime minister Ehud Olmert’s aide Shula Zaken was released from prison Monday following a parole board decision.

Zaken, who served as Olmert’s office manager for over 30 years, received an initial sentence of 11 months after turning state’s witness last year in the high-profile Holyland corruption case. That time was slashed earlier this month by the prison parole board, and she walked out of Neve Tirza prison on Monday morning.

The board decided to allow Zaken to serve just over six months of her sentence, which began in July 2014, after the former aide requested early release.

The Holyland Affair is considered one of the worst corruption scandals in the country’s history. At the center of the case is the Holyland housing development in Jerusalem.

The case broke in 2010 after Shmuel Dachner, a businessman who was involved in the project, turned state’s witness. Dachner died from an illness in 2013, in the midst of the trial and before Olmert’s attorneys had completed their cross-examination of him.

As part of a plea bargain Zaken agreed to testify against Olmert, albeit after all the evidence in the case had already been heard. Zaken provided prosecutors with recordings of conversations she had with Olmert in which he allegedly offered her bribes to not bear witness against him.

David Rozen, the Tel Aviv district judge in the case, was originally dissatisfied with the prosecution’s initial offer of 11 months jail time, saying she deserved at least several years in prison for her role in the corruption case, Haaretz reported. But despite his objections, the judge was unwilling to go against the plea deal reached by the state.

Under the terms of her release, Zaken will be required to present herself to police 48 hours after getting out, the Ynet news website reported. For the following six months she will need to register at the police during the first and third weeks of each month and she may not leave the country until June.

In May, Olmert was sentenced to six years in prison, a two-year suspended term and a fine of NIS 1 million ($289,000) for accepting bribes in the Holyland case, and ordered to report to prison on September 1, but the prison date was suspended pending his appeal.

Olmert is facing further corruption allegations, based in part on material provided by Zaken since she turned state’s witness.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.