Former Israeli PM gets 18 months in jail

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will begin 18 months in prison next year after being sentenced for bribery.

The Israeli Supreme Court reduced Olmert’s potential punishment of six years after partially accepting his appeal on Tuesday, according to reports. He will become the first former leader of Israel behind bars on Feb. 15.

{mosads}The court cleared the ex-premier of the main bribery charge but upheld his March 2014 conviction for taking a lesser bribe, The Guardian reported.

Olmert is accused of accepting kickbacks for promoting a controversial real-estate project in Jerusalem. The acts allegedly occurred first while he was the city’s mayor, continuing after he became the Israeli trade minister.

The purported bribes occurred before Olmert became the Israeli prime minister in 2006 when Ariel Sharon suffered a stroke. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in his past business dealings.

“A stone has been lifted from my heart,” he said Tuesday upon learning of his reduced sentence. “I said in the past I was never offered and I never took a bribe. And I say that again today.”

Olmert’s exit from office in 2009 paved the way for the return of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.