in Jerusalem
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert has been convicted of receiving bribes to facilitate the construction of a huge housing project when he served as mayor of Jerusalem and is expected to go to jail.
According to Israeli law, a bribery conviction carries a mandatory prison sentence of between three and seven years, and a hearing to discuss sentencing will take place later this month. The crime also carries moral turpitude, effectively ending any plans Olmert, who served as prime minister from 2006 to 2009, had for a political comeback.
Housing development
Tel Aviv district court judge David Rosen found
Olmert (68) guilty of accepting €104,000 to promote the controversial Holyland housing development in Jerusalem that required a significant change in zoning laws and earned the developers tax breaks and other benefits amounting to millions of euros.
Judge Rosen declared that Olmert had “told lies in court” and said his version of events “has been rejected by me in every way”.
He dismissed Olmert’s assertions he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing by those involved in the Holyland project as “impossible”, given the scope of the payments and corrupt practices revealed during the trial. “The defendant’s entire line of defence is implausible,” Judge Rosen said.
His lawyers indicated Olmert would appeal. “This trial was based on the testimony of a state witness branded by this very court as a liar. We were unable to cross-examine him. This is not the end of it,” said Olmert’s communications adviser, Amir Dan.
Olmert was mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003
.
