Former mayor of Jerusalem held on bribery allegations

A former ultra-Orthodox mayor of Jerusalem was arrested today on suspicion of accepting more than $750,000 in bribes, the most senior official caught up so far in a major, unfolding corruption scandal. Uri Lupolianski, who was remanded into custody, was accused of taking money and changing planning laws to allow the construction of a large and unsightly series of linked apartment blocks on a Jerusalem hillside, known as the Holyland project. He is suspected of taking bribes, money laundering, conspiracy, fraud, breach of trust and tax offences. As Lupolianski appeared at the Jerusalem magistrate court today , he told reporters: "I feel good, thank God. I find it strange." Ehud Olmert, the former Israeli prime minister and another former Jerusalem mayor, cut short a trip to Europe yesterday to fly back in the face of growing questions about his role in the Holyland scandal. Olmert stepped down early as prime minister last year after being dogged by corruption allegations and is now on trial on separate corruption cases, although the hearings have now been suspended. Olmert, 63, has always denied corruption and earlier this week specifically denied any involvement in the Holyland scandal, which took place when he was mayor of the city, saying the allegations were mere "innuendo". "I reject the innuendo and the suspicions it implies. They are baseless," he said. However, last week six people were arrested and held on remand as part of the investigation, including Uri Messer, a long-time aide and campaign finance manager for Olmert. Police believe Messer was a middleman and passed bribes to a senior official within the Jerusalem municipality. At first Olmert said he had no plans to cut short his business trip to Europe, but yesterday his spokesman said he would be flying back early and would be ready to answer police questions if required. "Olmert denies any involvement in the affair, though he clearly said a week ago that he will agree to be questioned if the police wished to do so, so that is the reason for his return to Israel," his spokesman said in a statement. In the Holyland scandal, police believe planning officials met the demands of developers despite hundreds of objections to the plan and redrew planning laws that restricted the height of buildings in that area to just two stories. Lupolianksi was head of the planning and construction committee when the Holyland project was approved. "This is bribery that reaches deep into the government authorities," Judge Avraham Haiman was quoted in the Israeli press as saying at a remand hearing for the suspects on Tuesday. "This is one of the most severe bribery affairs that we have known in Israel, because of its circumstances and the people involved in it."