Israel court cuts down jail-term of Former PM Ehud; quashed main charges

A top Israel court last day upheld the lower court decision to send former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to the prison, but spiked down the jail term to eighteen month instead of the suggested six years. A lower court earlier found him guilty of the corruption charges leveled against him and announced a rigorous punishment of six year. The prosecution earlier alleged that he had accepted a huge bribe of around five lakh shekels from the real estate lobby to help his ailing brother. However, later, the prosecution reportedly failed to prove the allegation; but the top court found that the EX-PM had accepted a small bribe of around sixty thousand shekels. He had allegedly committed the corruption crime –particularly the bribe for the real estate deals, like the hilltop apartment deal- during his service as a mayor of Jerusalem. Ehud was a powerful leader in the Israeli parliament. He was the supremo of the Kadima Party, which was one of the well-accepted political establishments of the country. But, after the downfall of the top leader, the party had lost its base and enfeebled by the political attacks. The former PM who once almost-clinched a milestone deal with Palestinians on the peace agreement had an efficient carrier record in his credit. Unfortunately, the followers had not followed up the deal after the Ehud’s step-down. He was a criminal layer in the beginning of his career and latter settle into the distorted political sector of Israel. However, he is the second top Israeli political person to serve the jail sentence on some serious crime charges. Earlier, former President Moshe Katzav was convicted by the court for allegedly raping a woman. He was sentenced to seven year in the prison.

Photo Courtesy : Google/ images are subject to copyright