Israel's Former Prime Minister Olmert to go to Jail for 18 months

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert looks on at the Jerusalem District Court, in Jerusalem, 25 May 2015. Photo: Heidi Levine / EPA

JERUSALEM — Ehud Olmert will become the first former Israeli Prime Minister to go to jail after Israel's Supreme Court upheld one count of bribe-taking in a appeal ruling on Tuesday.

The court in Jerusalem acquitted Olmert of one major count of bribe-taking when he served as mayor of the city between 1993 and 2003, Israel Radio reported.

But it upheld a conviction for a lesser count and dramatically reduced a prison sentence handed to Olmert in May 2014 by Tel Aviv's District Court from six years to 18 months.

Olmert is expected to start his sentence on Feb. 15.

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The Tel Aviv court had said in its verdict that two counts of indirect bribe-taking had not passed the statute of limitations and were sufficiently proven. 

One involved some $USD 140,000 (5,055,00 baht) given to his brother by a businessman who was a state witness. The second count involved $USD 17,000 (614,000baht) given to aides.

A dozen other senior officials were also tried in the major real-estate case, in which public figures accepted bribes from contractors to promote a construction project in Jerusalem known as Holy Land.

Story: Ofira Koopmans / DPA

 

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