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Olmert Charged With Corruption
Ex-Israeli PM convinced in court he'll 'be able to prove his innocence once and for all'
By Drew Nelles
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Posted Aug 30, 09 1:55 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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Israel’s attorney general has officially indicted former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on corruption charges, the BBC reports. The 61-page charge, filed in court today, accuses Olmert of "fraud, breach of trust, registering false corporate documents, and concealing fraudulent earnings.” Olmert denies all the charges, which relate to three different cases in Olmert’s political life before he became prime minister.
"Olmert is convinced that in the court he will be able to prove his innocence once and for all,” a spokesman says. Prosecutors earlier dropped other charges, though the scandal was a main reason the embattled Olmert resigned as head of the Kadima party last year. The indictment says that during his tenures as mayor of Jerusalem and cabinet minister Olmert accepted illegal political donations, duplicated his travel funding, and directed investment opportunities to a friend.