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Police seize more Olmert papers | |
(1 day later) | |
Israeli police have raided the Ministry of Industry and Trade as a corruption investigation into Prime Minister Ehud Olmert continues, official radio says. | |
The raid follows one on Jerusalem's city hall on Monday. | |
He is suspected of accepting bribes from a American Jewish businessman during his time as Jerusalem mayor and later as a minister. | |
He has admitted accepting election campaign donations from Morris Talansky but said he took no money for himself. | |
Police have now seized documents from Mr Olmert's time as both mayor of Jerusalem and minister of industry and trade. | |
Mr Olmert is already being investigated in several other corruption scandals. | |
Police questioned Mr Talansky on Monday and have asked him to remain in Israel until later in the month. | |
Morris "Moshe" Talansky - a New York-based financier - is said to have given hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to Mr Olmert at a series of meetings in the 1990s and early 2000s. | |
Mr Olmert said Mr Talansky had helped him raise funds for election campaigns but he insisted everything had been legal. | |
Mr Talansky has also said all his actions on behalf of Mr Olmert were legal. | |
Mr Olmert became prime minister in 2006 after being minister for industry and trade from 2003-2006 and mayor of Jerusalem from 1993-2003. | |
Resignation calls | Resignation calls |
The accusations have cast doubt on Mr Olmert's ability to negotiate with the Palestinians and there have been growing calls for his resignation. | |
Mr Olmert has said he would only resign if prosecutors filed criminal charges. | Mr Olmert has said he would only resign if prosecutors filed criminal charges. |
Mr Talansky says the money was legitimate campaign donations | Mr Talansky says the money was legitimate campaign donations |
The latest difficulties for Mr Olmert became public last week as Israel celebrated the 60th anniversary of its establishment as a state. | The latest difficulties for Mr Olmert became public last week as Israel celebrated the 60th anniversary of its establishment as a state. |
President Bush is to visit Israel this week to take part in the Israeli celebrations and to give the peace process a push. | |
Some opposition MPs have said the investigation would prevent Mr Olmert from devoting sufficient attention to running the country. | |
Israeli media are talking about the possibility of the government falling and early elections being held, says the BBC's Paul Wood in Jerusalem | Israeli media are talking about the possibility of the government falling and early elections being held, says the BBC's Paul Wood in Jerusalem |
The expected political beneficiary of all this would be the hard-line opposition leader and former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says our correspondent. | The expected political beneficiary of all this would be the hard-line opposition leader and former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says our correspondent. |
A poll released on Monday indicates that six out of 10 Israelis do not believe Mr Olmert's claims of innocence. | |
The same ratio said he should resign. | The same ratio said he should resign. |