Court upholds arrest of former Jerusalem mayor Lupolianski

Ha'aretz
The Petah Tikva District Court on Friday rejected an appeal submitted by former Jerusalem mayor Uri Lupolianski, requesting to abort his five-day remand for alleged involvement in the Holyland case.

The court upheld Lupolianski's detention on the grounds that the former mayor could try to disrupt the police investigation once out of custody.

The Rishon Letzion Magistrate's Court on Thursday lifted its gag order on the identity of the 'senior official' suspected of taking bribes in the Holyland case, revealing the suspect to be none other than former prime minister Ehud Olmert, who served as mayor of Jerusalem from 1993-2003 and is already standing trial in three unrelated corruption cases.


In the new case, Olmert is suspected of taking at least NIS 3.5 million in bribes in exchange for furthering development of the Holyland luxury housing project in Jerusalem.

He will soon be questioned by the police in this case, which is being termed the biggest corruption scandal in the state's history. Police say the suspicions against him are grave and well-founded.

Olmert is suspected of having taken bribes both as mayor of Jerusalem and as industry, trade and labor minister, a post he held from 2003-2006. As industry minister, he presided over both the Israel Lands Administration and the Small Business Administration..........   Full story