Israel Premier Olmert Says He `Never Took a Bribe,' to Resign If Indicted

[Purveyor]

Source: Bloomberg News

May 9 (Bloomberg) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert denied allegations that he accepted money illegally when he was Jerusalem mayor and government minister as he faces two other pending police investigations.

``I'm looking each and every one of you in the eyes as I say that I never took a bribe, never took a single penny for myself,'' Olmert, 62, told reporters outside his Jerusalem residence late yesterday. ``Although the law doesn't demand it, if the state attorney decides to indict me, I will resign.''

Law-enforcement authorities have investigated the allegations for 10 days and a court order prohibited the media from publishing anything about the case until a judge lifted a gag order late yesterday at the end of Israel's celebrations of its 60th anniversary.

The probe looked at Olmert's tenure as mayor from 1993 to 2003 and as minister of industry and trade from 2003 until he was elected prime minister in 2006. It won't necessarily lead to an indictment, a statement by the Justice Ministry said.

Olmert received ``significant'' sums of money, the statement said. Israeli police want to question an unidentified foreigner in the case, the statement said.



Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a3Baj4f56KEs&refer=home

[bluesmail]

1. I didn't know the law was asking questions about his

integrity. Recommend for that piece of info. alone.