Israeli police question former Prime Minister Olmert on corruption charges

Israeli police question ex-PM on bribe case

JERUSALEM — Israeli fraud investigators questioned a former prime minister on corruption charges Tuesday, his first appearance before police since being driven out of office last year.

Police questioned Ehud Olmert about his alleged involvement in a multimillion-dollar real estate bribery scandal that took place while he was mayor of Jerusalem.

Olmert has denied all the allegations against him, calling them a “witch hunt.” He says he never accepted a bribe during his three-decade-long political career.

Olmert is currently standing trial on separate charges of accepting illicit funds from an American supporter and double-billing Jewish groups for trips abroad — also before he became prime minister.

But police say the scope of the latest corruption affair dwarfs any of the others.

Police say millions of dollars illegally changed hands to promote several real estate projects, including a controversial residential development in Jerusalem that required a radical change in zoning laws.

Police have already briefly arrested and questioned another former Jerusalem mayor, Uri Lupolianski, and other close Olmert associates in the affair.

Olmert, 63, arrived at the national fraud squad headquarters in central Jerusalem early Tuesday, as television cameras captured his car driving from his home to the police station.

Police officials say he was immediately told he is suspected of accepting a bribe in connection to the Holyland project, referring to the gigantic Jerusalem housing complex at the center of the affair.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to disclose details of the questioning.

Olmert spokesman Amir Dan said the questioning would finally allow Olmert to address the accusations “after six weeks of baseless leaks.”

“Olmert has stressed more than once that he was never offered a bribe and never accepted a bribe, not directly and not indirectly,” Dan said in a statement.

Olmert was prime minister from 2006 to 2009. His tenure was marked by two wars against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon and Hamas militants in Gaza, in addition to intense peace negotiations with the Palestinians. He resigned in response to the corruption charges, which all related to his activities before becoming prime minister.