TEL AVIV (JTA) — A former aide to Ehud Olmert was arrested in Israel on charges of fraud and bribery.
Attorney Uri Messer, who worked for Olmert when he was prime minister, was arrested Tuesday for alleged corruption in dealings with various real estate projects in Jerusalem. Several others, including Jerusalem’s former municipal engineer, were also arrested. The charges involve accepting bribes to advance various construction projects around the city.
Last year, prosecutors announced that Messer would not be indicted in the corruption scandals for which Olmert himself was indicted.
It was not immediately clear whether or not the charges against Messer are connected with the cases against Olmert, which are pending trial. Israeli authorities described the corrupution scandal, which became public on Wednesday, as "one of the worst corruption scandals in Israeli history."
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