Former Israeli Prime Minister faces years in jail

On Sunday, Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was formally indicted on three counts of corruption. The indictment—which accuses Mr. Olmert of fraud and breach of trust—crowned the criminal investigation that forced Olmert to resign from office last fall. If he is convicted, Olmert could face years in prison. The charges themselves relate to acts committed when Olmert served as mayor of Jerusalem, before he became prime minister in 2006. One charge alleges that Olmert used state money to finance private and family travel. Another involves more than $600,000 that Olmert purportedly received from a Long Island, N.Y., businessman—in exchange for promoting the man’s business interests in Israel. On Sunday, a media adviser says Olmert is ready to plead his case in court: he is “convinced that he can prove his innocence once and for all.”

The New York Times