Police question Olmert in corruption probe

JERUSALEM, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- Police questioned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for a fifth time Friday in a corruption scandal that forced him to announce his resignation.

The three-hour round of questioning by officers of the National Fraud Unit took place at Olmert's official residence, a police spokesman said.

The spokesman refused to disclose details of the probe.

Olmert is suspected of illegally taking tens of thousands of dollars from New York businessman Morris Talansky when Olmert was mayor of Jerusalem and then as a government minister.

Olmert is also being investigated on suspicion he billed multiple state and charitable agencies for the same airline flights before becoming prime minister, using the extra money for private family trips, police said.

Olmert is also the subject of several other investigations, some of which have been pending for more than a year.

The prime minister denies wrongdoing and has not been charged.

But under pressure from the public and his own government, he announced July 30 he would resign after his party chooses a new leader in September elections.

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