Israel's former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was sentenced to six years in prison for bribery.
The Tel Aviv district court handed down the punishment in the wide-ranging Jerusalem real estate scandal case related to Olmert's activities before becoming prime minister in 2006.
The 68-year-old Olmert said he will appeal both the verdict and the sentence to Israel's Supreme Court. Shortly before the sentencing, Olmert's spokesman Amir Dan insisted the former premier was innocent and said he would appeal to Israel's Supreme Court.
According to the verdict, millions of dollars illegally changed hands to promote a series of real estate projects, including a controversial housing development in Jerusalem that required a radical change in zoning laws and earned developers tax breaks and other benefits. At the time, Olmert was mayor of Jerusalem and minister of industry and trade. He was accused of taking bribes to push the project forward.
