BICOM

The Israeli State Prosecutor’s Office has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court over former-prime minister Ehud Olmert’s acquittals on several charges over the summer.

In July, Olmert was acquitted of having illegally accepted money from an American businessman, in a case known as the Talansky Affair and was also acquitted over the Rishon Tours affair, in which he was accused of maintaining an illegal travel slush fund. The State Prosecutor is now appealing the Rishon Tours decision on the basis that having been deeply involved with the work of his personal staff and relevant correspondence, the lower court was wrong to rule that there was reasonable doubt over whether Olmert knew of the double billing. Similarly, having personally handled tens of thousands of dollars during the Talansky Affair, the appeal argues that it is highly improbable that Olmert did not know that the payments were illegal.

The appeal also calls for a harsher sentence than the relatively light fine and one-year suspended prison term that Olmert was handed for breach of trust during his time as Minister of Trade and Industry.

Olmert’s spokesman Amir Dan yesterday condemned the appeal, saying “the State Prosecutor’s Office intends to influence Olmert’s decision on whether or not to return to the political arena, since Olmert recently stated that he would decide after the U.S. elections.”

There has been speculation for several weeks that Olmert will return to politics in time for January’s elections, potentially at the head of a centre-left bloc. Polls have indicated that such a party, particularly if joined by other centre-left figures including former-foreign minister Tzipi Livni could threaten to topple Prime Minister Netanyahu. However, the appeal is likely to complicate a potential Olmert comeback.