Wednesday, 14 May 2014

Former Israeli PM, Ehud Olmert Jailed Six Years And, NIS 1m. Fine

by Benson Agoha

Former Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert was yesterday handed a six year jail sentence and ordered to pay NIS 1m fine, according to the Times of Israel.

The sentence was over bribery for a big Jerusalem housing project while he was the Mayor of the City 10 years earlier.


 
* Former prime minister Ehud Olmert arrives at a Tel Aviv Court for sentencing yesterday, May 13, 2014.
 
Reading out his sentence, Judge David Rozen blasted bribe-takers as ‘traitors’, because “The crime of bribery can pollute civil service.”
 
The judge said Bribery “destroys governments,” and is “one of the worst crimes” in the penal code.  Adding that the former PM “held the most important and central position and ended up convicted of contemptible crimes”.
 
Judge Rozen was not altogether critical. Calling the former prime minister an “intelligent, brilliant people person”, he praised him for being an “avid Zionist” and for contributing to bereaved families and the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, ToI reported.
 
Despite the conviction on Monday March 31, 2014 and subsequent sentencing, the former PM insists he is innocent and not corrupt in the Holyland case. He plans to appeal conviction.


* Twitter: @woolwichonline.

* Photo Credit: Times of Israel.

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