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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Olmert faces eighth round of police questioning |
| 2008-10-03 |
| Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was questioned by police on Thursday for the eighth time since May on corruption allegations that led him to resign from office last month. Investigators questioned Olmert for around two hours on the "Investment Center affair," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP, adding that the outgoing premier was likely to be questioned again in the coming weeks. The probe - one of several concerning Olmert - involves allegations that as trade minister he steered tens of millions of dollars worth of state funds toward a firm owned by his former law partner, Uri Messer. It is one of several criminal investigations into Olmert, who resigned on September 21 to battle the charges amid a growing chorus of criticism from political allies and foes alike. All the allegations concern his dealings as Occupied Jerusalem mayor and trade minister in the 13 years before he assumed the premiership in 2006. He will continue to serve as caretaker premier until Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni forms a new governing coalition or the country holds snap elections - a period of political limbo that could last weeks or months. Police have recommended that the 63-year-old Olmert be indicted on criminal charges in two cases where he is accused of illegally accepting large sums of cash from a US financier and multiple-billing foreign trips. |
| Posted by:Fred |