Israel's ex-PM Olmert gets another month of prison

An Israeli court on Wednesday handed former prime minister Ehud Olmert one month of prison for obstructing justice, in addition to a previous 18-month sentence for bribery.

Olmert is due to become the first former Israeli premier to serve jail time when he reports to prison on February 15.

He had sought a plea bargain to serve a six-month term for obstruction of justice concurrently with the bribery sentence, in exchange for admitting to the crime.

But magistrates court judge Avital Chen ordered one month of jail to be served consecutively and five months concurrently.

Olmert was present in court on Wednesday but did not speak. His previous confession to obstructing justice was the first time Olmert had pleaded guilty to any misconduct or crime in his various trials.

He was given six years' prison in May 2014 for taking bribes in the early 2000s in connection with the construction of Jerusalem's massive Holyland residential complex, but the sentence was later reduced to 18 months.

Israel's supreme court is still debating a January 19 appeal by Olmert on a third conviction from May 2015 over fraud and corruption, for which the former premier had been sentenced to eight months' imprisonment.

Olmert's sentence on Wednesday was in connection with an attempt to persuade his former secretary Shula Zaken not to testify against him in the bribery case and in the fraud and corruption case.

Zaken had recorded him and used the materials to win a lesser sentencing for her part in the cases.
Source :AFP