Olmert corruption trial delayed 1 month

JERUSALEM, April 8 (UPI) -- The corruption trial of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been postponed by a month, the Jerusalem District Court said Thursday.

The delay was scheduled to avoid mixing allegations stemming from different incidents of corruption together in a single proceeding, the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, reported.

"There is no point in getting into legal proceedings that are cut off, disabled, affected and defective ... .This trial cannot be held right now, until a decision has been made (on the Holyland case)."

The Holyland residence project controversy involves a number of allegations Olmert and his associates paid bribes to get permits for residence projects to be built on the site of the Holyland Hotel in Jerusalem, Haaretz reported. The alleged corruption occurred during Olmert's tenure as Jerusalem's mayor.

An Olmert confidante, attorney Uri Messer, among five others, was arrested Wednesday on charges of being involved in the bribery scheme, the newspaper said.

"If the investigation uncovers sufficient evidence to serve an indictment, the effects will be earth-shattering," Rishon Letzion Magistrate's Court Deputy President Abraham Heiman said at the six suspects' hearing, adding this was "one of the worst corruption affairs in Israeli history."