Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, already facing a six-year prison term after a corruption conviction, was found guilty today in a separate case of accepting illegal payments from a US businessman.
The ruling in Jerusalem District Court reversed a 2012 acquittal of the veteran politician, who led Israel from 2006 to 2009.
Last May, Olmert was sentenced in other proceedings to six years in jail for accepting $160,000 in bribes linked to a real estate deal in Jerusalem, when he served as the city's mayor. He is currently appealing that conviction in the Supreme Court.
The district court found that Olmert accepted cash-filled envelopes from an American businessman who hoped to further his interests in Israel. It convicted him of fraud and breach of trust on the basis of new testimony from a former aide who had accepted a plea bargain.
Facing corruption allegations, Olmert announced his resignation as prime minister in 2008, cutting short his pursuit of a peace deal with the Palestinians, and stayed on until a new government was in place after a 2009 election.
He has denied any wrongdoing in both cases, and his lawyers said they were considering appealing today's ruling.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
