criminal: The Tel Aviv District Court sentenced former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to eight years in prison, six of which are in effect, this morning (Tuesday), after he was convicted in March in the Holyland affair of two offenses of accepting bribes totaling hundreds of thousands of shekels while serving as mayor of Jerusalem. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge David Rosen imposed a fine of one million shekels and forfeited 560,000 shekels of his money.
The judge ruled that Olmert's actions were disgraceful, saying: "From a high and honorable position of no greater importance and centrality, he reached the status of someone convicted of serious and despicable crimes.".
Olmert left his home for the district court around 9 a.m., where he entered the courtroom through a side passage. His family members did not join him. Olmert's media advisor, Amir Dan, spoke outside the court this morning and said that the former prime minister's conviction was a completely wrong decision: "Olmert intends to file an appeal with the Supreme Court in the hope that the true picture will indeed emerge there.".
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Judge Rosen began his remarks by saying that the offenses of bribery and corruption inflict widespread damage on the entire social structure. "The defendants have damaged public trust," the judge ruled. "The offenses of bribery contaminate the public service. The bribe giver betrays the trust placed in him." The judge noted that during the trial, "corrupt public systems that have rotted over the years" were exposed. The judge added: "The higher the status and the more senior the position, the more this will constitute a circumstance of aggravation." Rosen cited the Supreme Court's rulings in the cases of Aryeh Deri and Shlomo Benizri and said: "The doubts and appeals did not stand up to them.".
The judge said of Olmert that he is endowed with admirable qualities, because he is educated, eloquent and extremely wise and knows how to speak to every person in his own language and convince them of the righteousness of his path. "Thus, in his personal life and in his public roles, a man of the people, wise and embracing, he made a great contribution to the state and society." However, Olmert and Uri Sheetrit, convicted number 7 in the case, are criminals. "They are not ordinary criminals immersed solely in the world of embezzlement and crime. These are criminals who conducted themselves within the normative framework in which they contributed the best of themselves to the benefit of their position, prospered, advanced until they reached their status, and served as a convenient platform for the corruption offenses for which they were convicted in parallel with their normative actions." Rosen emphasized: "The rot in their actions did not remain in the closed area. Therefore, they deserve condemnation.".
The judge also emphasized that the offense of bribery carries with it disgrace, noting that Olmert, Shamshioff, and Lopliansky have disgrace. The judge added: "I will impose a fine on each defendant according to the severity of the offense, his financial situation, and his personal circumstances.".
And this is the verdict of the convicts:
Defendant No. 1 Hillel Charni - 3 and a half years in prison, plus a fine of 2 million NIS.
Defendant No. 2 Avigdor Kelner - 3 years in prison, plus a fine of one million NIS.
Defendant No. 5 Meir Rabin - 5 years in prison, plus a fine of 500,000 NIS.
Defendant No. 6, Uri Shitrit - 7 years in prison, plus a fine of one million NIS.
Defendant No. 8 Ehud Olmert - 6 years in prison, plus a fine of one million NIS.
Eliezer Shamchiof - 3 and a half years in prison, 1.5 years probation in effect, and a 300,000 fine.
Danny Dankner - 3 years in prison, plus a 1 million NIS fine.
The execution of the sentence was set for September 1, 2014.
The sentences of the three remaining convicts in the case - Shula Zaken, Avraham Feiner and Uri Lupoliansky - will be pronounced at a later date.
Olmert's lawyer, Attorney Eli Zohar, said in response to the verdict: "The sentence is very severe, and some of the words the judge said are also very severe. He applied them in one breath to all the defendants, and that is going too far.".
Olmert's media advisor, Amir Dan, said that this is a very severe sentence that is out of all proportion. "The sentence is based on a completely wrong verdict, a house of cards that is entirely built on conjectures and assumptions. The court convicted and sentenced a severe sentence to a man who never took a bribe and who contributed greatly to the State of Israel. Olmert will appeal the wrong and unjust decision to the Supreme Court.".
