Israeli court jails former premier Olmert 18 months for corruption

Ehud Olmert will become the first former Israeli prime minister to go to jail, after Israel's Highest Court of Justice 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, reports dpa.

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, who was premier between 2006 and 2009, is to start his sentence on February 15.

The dramatic ruling crowns eight years of legal proceedings, which toppled Olmert and thereby slammed the door to the furthest-reaching peace negotiations ever with the Palestinians.

Olmert, a former right-wing nationalist ideologist who became more pragmatic, centrist and dovish later in life, was succeeded by current hardline Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2009 elections held after his resignation amid the corruption allegations. 

"I've said in the past, that I was never offered, and that I never received bribes and I say this also today," the 70-year-old told reporters after the long-awaited appeal ruling.

But he added, "I respect the decision of the Supreme Court judges," to uphold the conviction of the smaller count of bribe-taking.

"The last few years were difficult as a result of a dark cloud hovering over my life, every day, every hour, and over that of my family, my wife, my five children and my 11 grandchildren," he said.

Attorney Roi Belcher said he was "happy" that the supreme court accepted some of his main arguments that had previously been rejected by the Tel Aviv District Court, which had sentenced Olmert to six years jail.

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

The Tel Aviv court had said in its March 2014 verdict that two counts of indirect bribe-taking on behalf of Olmert had not passed the statute of limitations and were sufficiently proven.

One involved some 140,000 dollars given to Olmert's brother by a businessman, who had become a state witness. That one is now struck down. The second count - upheld - involved 17,000 dollars given to aides to Olmert.

The court had said that Olmert had abused his senior position to promote his personal interests and, via his brother and aides, received huge sums in exchange for pushing through the real-estate project.

Olmert has also become entangled in several other corruption scandals.

While critics say that he is one of many politicians who gave preference to his own enrichment and personal interests over that of the public, supporters charge that hardliners opposed to his peace moves with the Palestinians had brought to light the legal wrongdoings to topple him.