U.S. to offer Talansky partial immunity over testimony given in Israel

[IndianaGreen]

Source: Haaretz

U.S. to offer Talansky partial immunity over testimony given in Israel

By Tomer Zarchin, Haaretz Correspondent

United States authorities said Sunday they were prepared to offer partial immunity to American businessman Morris Talansky, the key witness in a corruption probe currently underway against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

According to the offer, any prospective testimony given by Talansky in an Israeli courtroom will not be used as direct evidence against him.

The testimony may be used in other instances, for example, as a lead to assist the Department of Justice in its investigation, to cross-examine Talansky should he be brought before an American court, and as rebuttal to any assertions made by Talansky or his attorneys.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) decided last year to open a probe into Talansky's conduct, a move which came as no surprise to Israel's police investigators.

Senior police officials said it is customary for the FBI to become involved in Israeli investigations being conducted within the U.S.

Olmert is being investigated for allegations that he accepted illicit funds over many years from Talansky. In his preliminary deposition in Jerusalem on May 27, Talansky testified that he gave Olmert $150,000, mostly in cash, for political campaigns and travel expenses. He denied receiving anything in return for the cash, which was allegedly conveyed in envelopes through third parties.


Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1058543.html

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Those that recall how Spiro Agnew did business while Vice President, will recognize the similarities to the Olmert case. This is a straight forward corruption case involving the outgoing PM of Israel. His goose is cooked!

[peacetalksforall]

1. This sentence disgusts me. Someone please explain it to make sense.

"Senior police officials said it is customary for the FBI to become involved in Israeli investigations being conducted within the U.S. "

United States of America
Israel - little United States of America

[Jackpine Radical]

2. USA = client state of Israel.

[madrchsod]

3. we have to back the only democracy in the middle east

Nasser`s decision to join the sphere of soviet influence puts israel at a military and political disadvantage.

we must maintain our friendship of and military aid to the nation of israel. the stakes are high...we can not let the soviet union and it`s satellite states crush the only democracy in the entire middle east.

[peacetalksforall]

5. what decade are you writing from? I know this sounds harsh, ONLY democracy?

There are domecracies all over the world?

Israel is a war mongering country. Russia is a war mongering country. The U,S, is a war mongering country. There are war mongering democracies.

[madrchsod]

7. i have mr peabody staying at my home.....

actually i was staring at my collection of 60`s PLO books...

[ro1942]

6. democracies are they that good?

they seem to be doing most of harm in the world. i'm not going to preach but take a look.

[IndianaGreen]

4. It is not uncommon for FBI to cooperate with foreign police investigations

We have been doing that for decades with Interpol and with the Brits. Israel is no exception, and in this particular case, it is unremarkable.

[wcepler]

8. "kill a Muslim for Christ"

Now that we no longer have a "kill a Muslim for Christ" president, many, many things are going to change.