Picture: (AFP/Pool/File/Eliana Aponte)- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem. Israeli police grilled Olmert again over graft allegations that have dogged his term in office, two days after his surprise resignation announcement.

Israeli police grilled Prime Minister Ehud Olmert again today over graft allegations that have dogged his term in office, two days after his surprise resignation announcement.

It was the fourth time since May that anti-fraud squad officers have interviewed Olmert, 62, at his official residence in Jerusalem in connection with the allegations of wrongdoing, which he has strongly
denied.

Police remained tight-lipped but the questioning was likely to focus on allegations Olmert illegally received electoral and other funding from a wealthy US financier and that he sent out multiple bills for the same overseas trips.

The latest round of questioning came just two day after the premier announced he would step down after a September 17 leadership election in his centrist Kadima party.

His decision to go has cast a shadow over already slow-moving US-backed peace negotiations with the Palestinians and recently revived indirect talks with Syria and raised the specter of political turmoil
in Israel.

Olmert had faced a growing chorus of calls for his resignation in the face of six scandals over his conduct in the years before he took office in 2006, when he was mayor of Jerusalem and trade and industry minister.

SAPA-AFP