- The Media Line - https://themedialine.org -

Supreme Court Sentences Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to 18 Months in Jail But Clears Him of Main Corruption Charge

It was a great day and a terrible day for Israel’s former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
On the one hand, the Supreme Court accepted his appeal of a 2014 bribery conviction for which he had been sentenced to six years on jail.

On the other hand, it upheld his conviction on charged of illegally accepting 60,000 shekels, about $ 15, 454, and a sentence to serve 18 months in jail, starting February 15, 2016. With time off for good behavior, it is likely Olmert will serve under a year of actual imprisonment.

The verdict stems from a sprawling corruption and will make Olmert Israel’s first prime minister to go to jail. A former president, Moshe Katzav, is currently serving a 7-year term on rape charges.

In a statement to the media following the sentence, which cannot be appealed, Olmert reiterated that he had never accepted bribes but said he respected the court’s decision. He said the past few years were an “onerous black cloud” for him and his family, and expressed relief the major conviction had been overturned.