Olmert could go to prison!
TEL-AVIV, Israel - September 8,
2008 - "The police recommendation regarding the indictment isn't binding.
The police's role is to investigate, and that's why this is just a
recommendation, and experience shows us that recommendations aren't always taken
into account," Professor Ariel Bendor of the Bar-Ilan University Law
Department told Ynet on Sunday evening.
Earlier in the day, police recommended that the State Prosecution indict Prime Minister Ehud Olmert over the Morris Talansky and Rishontours affairs on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
However, the final decision regarding whether an indictment will be filed, and its nature, lies with Attorney General Menachem Mazuz.
Professor Bendor said the offenses Olmert may be tried on are "very grave. If the prime minister is convicted on these charges, they carry a sentence of active prison time and will most likely bear moral turpitude.”
However, Bendor noted, past attorneys general have ignored police indictment recommendations against former prime ministers such as Benjamin Netanyahu and Ariel Sharon.
"The considerations about whether (Olmert) should be indicted should be the same as those taken into account in the case of Joe Citizen. Nevertheless, experience shows that attorneys general have shown exceptional prudence when it comes to these decisions," said Bendor.
"It's important to note that in Olmert's case, he's already announced he intends to step down, so the attorney general's decision won't be about pressuring him to leave office."
