Former PM denies involvement in the real estate bribery affair.
By JPOST.COM STAFF, YAAKOV LAPPIN
Former prime minister Ehud Olmert has cut short his holiday in Spain and will return to Israel on Wednesday night due to his rumored involvement in the Holyland real estate bribery scandal, Army Radio reported Wednesday afternoon.Olmert’s media adviser Amir Dan reiterated that the former prime minister denied all connection to the affair, but would cooperate fully with investigators should he be called in for questioning.It comes a day after the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court extended thecustody of five suspects, including the former head engineer of theJerusalem Municipality and a land developer, who were arrested earlierthis month by police investigating the Holyland case.According to police suspicions, between 1999 and 2008 the Holylanddevelopment company and associated land development projects, thenowned by businessman Hillel Charni, paid tens of millions of shekels inbribes to senior public decision makers in the Jerusalem Municipality,members of its planning and construction committee, the Israel LandsAdministration, and others, in exchange for their approval for theHolyland housing project in the capital and additional developments inthe North.