Former Prime Minister and Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert will remain in prison, instead of celebrating Passover at home. President Reuven Rivlin today announced his decision to reject Olmert's pardon request for immediate release. Olmert began serving a 26-month prison term on February 15, 2016. The Israel Prison Service parole board is due to hear Olmert's request for a one-third reduction of his sentence and release from prison next June.
In explaining his refusal to pardon Olmert, Rivlin made it clear that the Olmert's special circumstances mentioned in the pardon request, including his fall from the highest status to the lowest and the merits of his many years of service in the highest positions in Israel and his great contributions to Israel and its security had been taken into account by the court before pronouncing sentence on him. "The president's authority to pardon is not a forum for appealing Supreme Court rulings, and I therefore do not regard it as fitting to grant the request for pardon through an immediate release from prison," the president's residence announced.
At the same time, the president noted that Olmert was due to appear before the parole board, which would hear his request for release after serving two thirds of his sentence. "If his request for parole after serving two thirds of his sentence is accepted, after paying his debt to society, and in view of his many merits, the president will give favorable consideration to limiting his penalty to this period of imprisonment," Rivlin stated. This would mean that immediately upon his expected parole, following the reduction of his sentence by a third, Olmert will not be a paroled prisoner, and will be able to fly overseas and continue his normal life without restrictive conditions.
Meanwhile, Avigdor Kellner, one of the developers of the huge Holyland real estate project in Jerusalem, who was also convicted in the bribery affair and was sentenced to two years imprisonment, is to be released after serving one year, the Parole Board has decided. Kellner will undergo a rehabilitation program, including public service. The reasons for the decision not allowed to be published.
Published by Globes [online], Israel Business News - www.globes-online.com - on March 27, 2017
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