BICOM

Israel’s former-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was found guilty this morning of bribery in the so-called ‘Holyland’ case, in a dramatic and damning verdict which is expected to result in a prison sentence for Olmert and his co-defendants.

Judge David Rozen said the case had “exposed governance that grew more corrupt and rotten over the years.” Olmert was found guilty of accepting bribes to smooth over the construction of the large ‘Holyland’ real estate project during his time as Mayor of Jerusalem from 1993-2003. Judge Rozen also said in his judgement that “Olmert tried to tarnish the name of the state witness and told lies in court.” He is not the only high-profile defendant found guilty this morning as Judge Rozen also convicted former Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski, former Bank Hapoalim Chairman Danny Dankner, and Olmert’s former senior aide Shula Zaken.

The case took a twist last week when it was revealed that Zaken had agreed to a plea bargain under which she would act as a state witness against Olmert and serve no more than eleven months in prison for her role in the affair. Her fresh evidence apparently reveals that Olmert obstructed justice but was not needed to reach this morning’s scathing conviction. However, it could reportedly still form the basis of a new case against Olmert.

As Prime Minister, Olmert led Israel during the 2006 Second Lebanon War and in 2007 and 2008 held advanced peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. However, he resigned as Prime Minister in 2008 in order to fight a plethora of charges against him. In 2012, he was found guilty of a minor breach of trust charge. However, he was acquitted of having illegally accepted money from an American businessman, in a case known as the Talansky Affair and was also acquitted over the Rishon Tours affair, in which he was accused of maintaining an illegal travel slush fund. The ‘Holyland’ case had hung over Olmert and this morning’s verdict would appear to end any hopes of a planned return to politics.