Israel’s ex-PM Olmert starts jail term for corruption

Television footage showed him walking into the Maasiyahu prison in central Israel.

“I deny all the bribe charges attributed to me”.

JERUSALEM, May 13 (Xinhua) – History was written on Tuesday at the Tel Aviv District Court as Israeli former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was sentenced to six years in prison for graft charges, becoming the first former prime minister to be sentenced to jail time in Israel.

“When I was prime minister, I was given the highest responsibility of safeguarding the security of the citizens of Israel and today it is I who is about to be locked up behind bars”, Olmert said in a video message, calling the experience “painful and strange”.

Ehud Olmert is seen inside a auto as he leaves his house in Jerusalem to enter Israel’s Maasiyahu prison.

Last week, an Israeli courtroom handed him a further month for obstructing justice. But in December, the Supreme Court reduced his sentence to 18 months in prison and exonerated him on one of the charges. I accept it, but absolutely refute any charge of corruption.

Olmert headed the Israeli government between 2006 and 2008, and was succeeded by current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March 2009. Olmert will first be up for 24 hours of leave from prison after completing a third of his 19-month sentence.

Another month to the commuted sentence was added for attempting to bribe his secretary not to testify against him in court.

Olmert is also awaiting a ruling in an appeal in a separate case, in which he was sentenced to eight months in prison for unlawfully accepting money from a US supporter.

Also serving time in Ward 10 is former president Moshe Katsav, who is five years in to a seven-year term for rape, sexual assault and harassment of a number of female employees while tourism minister and president.

Olmert has said he made unprecedented concessions to the Palestinians during those talks – including a near-total withdrawal from the West Bank and an offer to place Jerusalem’s Old City under global control – and was close to reaching an agreement at the time of his resignation.

On admission Monday, Olmert, like any other prisoner, will be photographed, searched, given a medical examination and interviewed by various officials, including a social worker.