Olmert to be grilled again in graft probes

By Peter Gill: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is to be questioned on Friday over allegations of graft, for the second time since he announced his resignation last week, police said.

The interview at Olmert's official residence in Jerusalem will be the fifth in three months.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld declined to give further details but Israeli public radio said Olmert would be questioned over allegations he billed the same overseas trips several times over, and separate claims he traded favours in exchange for a discount on a house he bought in Jerusalem.

Olmert is under investigation in six different cases of alleged wrongdoing in the years before he took office in 2006, when he was mayor of Jerusalem and trade and industry minister.

He announced last week he would step down after his centrist Kadima party holds a leadershipo election on September 17, but insisted he was innocent.

Olmert had faced a growing chorus of calls for his resignation over the claims of wrongdoing.