Ehud Olmert in court on March 31, courtesy of Euronews via YouTubeFormer Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert, was sentenced Tuesday to six years in prison for taking bribes while serving as mayor of Jerusalem.
Olmert was also fined 1 million shekels, or about $289,000.
In late March, Olmert was convicted of two counts of bribery and one count of perjury. His trial included 16 defendants and spanned over two years.
According to the verdict, Olmert and other government officials received bribes from the developer of Holyland, Hillel Cherney, in exchange for a variety of land approvals, zoning law changes and tax benefits for the developers.
News accounts report varying amounts of bribes to Olmert, with most saying he accepted 560,000 shekels ($160,000) from Holyland developers.
The developer of Holyland, Hillel Cherney, had been previously convicted of bribing Olmert and other high-level officials in exchange for Holyland approvals.
Olmert was among 13 defendants in the Holyland case. Sentences handed down on Tuesday against six of the other accused ranged from three to seven years.
Olmert, an attorney who became the youngest person ever elected to Israel’s parliament in 1973, served as prime minister from 2006 to 2009.
Two years ago, Olmert was acquitted of most of the major charges brought against him in separate cases involving his links to a U.S. businessman.
Those corruption allegations forced him to resign as prime minister in 2008, and his acquittal had appeared to position him for a possible political comeback.
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Julie DiMauro is the executive editor of FCPA Blog and can be reached here.
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