Ehud Olmert sentenced to 6 years in prison
TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli court sentenced former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to six years in prison for his role in a bribery scandal, capping the stunning downfall of a politician who just a few years ago hobnobbed at the White House and claimed to be close to reaching a historic peace agreement with the Palestinians.What garbage. All he did was commit dhimmitude.
Olmert, the first prime minister sentenced to prison, is set to become the latest in a string of top Israeli politicians to serve time for serious crimes. The scandals have fueled a feeling of public sorrow over the state of the country's political system mixed with relief that no one is above the law. [...]Hope he doesn't try to flee the country beforehand, or he'll be fit for additional time in the pen. He's had this punishment coming to him for a long time now. Finally, he's getting what he asked for, after he sold out this country and endangered it.
Olmert was convicted in March in a wide-ranging case that accused him of accepting bribes to promote a controversial real-estate project in Jerusalem. He was charged for acts while he was mayor of Jerusalem and national trade minister, years before he became prime minister in 2006.
Olmert has denied wrongdoing, and his lawyer said they would appeal Tuesday's sentence to the Supreme Court.
The six-year sentence was the maximum sought by prosecutors. Olmert also was ordered to pay a $290,000 fine. Judge David Rozen, a Tel Aviv district court judge, accused Olmert of undermining the public's trust as he delivered the punishment.
"A public servant who accepts bribes is akin to a traitor," Rozen said. "This is a man who was on top of the world. He served as prime minister, the most important position, and from there he reached the position of a man convicted of criminal offenses."
Olmert appeared stunned as he walked out of the courthouse without speaking to reporters. Rozen ordered him and several co-defendants to report to prison on Sept. 1.
Labels: dhimmitude, islam, Israel, Jerusalem, Moonbattery, political corruption