Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will be brought to trial over suspicions that he double- and even triple-billed travel expenses made while serving in public office in the years before he became prime minister, Israel's attorney-general announced Wednesday.
Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz made the announcement that Olmert will be indicted over the so-called "Rishon Tours" affairs after a lengthy police investigation, which had also ended with police saying enough evidence had been gathered to press charges, dpa reported.
According to a statement issued by Mazuz, Olmert accumulated 85,000 US dollars by submitting the same bills of single journeys made as a cabinet minister more than once to a number of bodies, including to the state and such institutions as the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial centre in Jerusalem.
The affair is one of several for which Olmert is being investigated. The 62-year-old resigned in September to fight the corruption charges, paving the way for early elections to be held in Israel on February 10. After his resignation, he became the head of a transitional government which continues to govern the country until a new one is formed after the elections.