Israel's Former PM Olmert in Court on Corruption Charges

JERUSALEM, Sept. 25, 2009 — -- Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appeared in a Jerusalem court today to face charges of fraud and breach of trust. He is the first prime minister of Israel to stand trial.

Olmert was forced from office in March 2009 by the mounting weight of corruption investigations against him.

He has maintained his innocence, and did so again today.

"I come here as an innocent man and I believe I will leave here as an innocent man," he told waiting reporters outside the court.

Olmert is accused of receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal cash donations from an American businessman Morris Talansky. According to the police investigation the money was sometimes given to Olmert in cash-stuffed envelopes during visits to the United States.

He is also accused of double billing Israeli charities for official trips abroad. Using a travel agency called Rishon Tours he allegedly charged twice for the same journeys and then pocketed the extra money to pay for his own family holidays.

He faces formal charges of fraud and breach of trust, both of which carry jail time.

All charges relate to a time before Olmert became prime minister, when he served as mayor of Jerusalem and as a minister in the government of Ariel Sharon.

His departure from office under a cloud of police investigations opened the way for elections which resulted in a right-wing government led by Benjamin Netanyahu.

During the last months of his premiership Olmert was immersed in detailed peace negotiations with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Olmert's Advice to George Mitchell

In an interview recorded this week with the BBC program "Hard Talk," Olmert claimed he had gone further than any Israeli leader before him with the concessions he was willing to make for peace, even on the delicate issues of dividing Jerusalem and on Palestinian refugees and their desire to return to what is now Israel.

The Palestinians turned down his offers and despite the efforts of President Obama to get talks started again, both sides are yet to resume negotiations.

The Palestinians insist the talks should start where Olmert left off. In the BBC interview, he gave some advice to special envoy George Mitchell.

"I say to George Mitchell....don't start everything from the beginning. Go ahead from where it stopped and finish it. Otherwise in four years time I'll bump into you at Heathrow airport in London and ask you: George what are you doing here? And he will say, this is my 60th trip to the Middle East. Is that what you want?"

Olmert is not likely to play any part in negotiations for some time. His case was adjourned until next February and his trial will likely be a lengthy one.