Olmert to stand trial Friday on fraud charges in 'Rishon Tours' affair

Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will stand trial on Friday in Jerusalem on numerous corruption charges stemming from the "Rishon Tours" affair.

The former premier was indicted on charges ranging from fraud, breach of trust, forging of corporate documents, and failure to report income. Olmert will not face charges of bribery, as the police had recommended to prosecutors.

Olmert has been accused of illegally double-billing charities and a government ministry for the same flights booked through Rishon Tours, sending them falsified receipts for travel expenses and using the surplus to finance family trips abroad.

Last July, Olmert's travel coordinator, Rachel Risby-Raz, was indicted on charges including fraud and breach of trust for her role in the Rishon Tours case.

Risby-Raz is suspected of aiding Olmert, together with his office director Shula Zaken, in the affair, which is one of several ongoing corruption probes against the former premier.

Olmert, the indictment said, developed connections with foreign organizations and personalities during his terms as mayor of Jerusalem, and as Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor and as substitute finance minister.

The indictment also charges that Olmert and Zaken "abused Mr. Olmert's connections in favor of a systematic, years-long, activity of acquiring financial favors for Mr. Olmert."

The falsified documents, the indictment said, included inflated travel costs and itineraries that were changed. Olmetr and Zaken allegedly passed the fraudulent documentation over to the organizations to justify their excess costs.

"All of these actions were done by Mr. Olmert, Mrs. Zaken, and the accused in a manner contrary to the norms and regulations which bind a minister and public servants, a manner of fraud and breach of trust," the indictment said.