Police question ex-Israel PM Olmert over Holyland case

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Ehud Olmert appears on TV (15 April 2010)
Image caption,

This is the first time Mr Olmert has been questioned since he was PM

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been questioned by police for the first time since stepping down to answer corruption charges.

He was questioned over his alleged involvement in a giant real estate deal in Jerusalem when he was the city's mayor.

Mr Olmert has denied all the allegations made against him.

Police say that bribes were given to officials over the development of a giant hotel and apartment building.

City planning laws were changed to allow the developers of the building, known as the Holyland complex, to allow apartments to be built as well as hotels.

The number of apartments in the development was also increased, police say.

Mr Olmert has called the investigation a "witch hunt", and denied taking any kind of bribe.

Mr Olmert was plagued by multiple corruption scandals while serving as prime minister between 2006 and 2009 - and has so far been indicted over three separate cases. Police have closed two others.