Police raid Israeli ministerial building in Olmert inquiry

On Monday, police conducted a similar search of City Hall and other municipal offices in Jerusalem, taking documents as part of the ongoing inquiry.

The raid at the Ministry of Trade, Labor and Industry building comes as more than a dozen world leaders head to Israel, including President Bush, to celebrate the Jewish state's 60th anniversary.

Police are investigating whether Olmert received large sums of money illegally while he was mayor of Jerusalem and while he served as the nation's minister of industry, trade and labor. Olmert said last week that he has never taken a bribe but vowed to resign if he is indicted.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Olmert received the questionable funds from 1993 through 2006, during his tenure as Jerusalem mayor and while he held several ministerial positions under former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Olmert was also involved in the Likud Party primaries during that time, police said.

"It is suspected that the prime minister received significant sums of money from a foreigner or number of foreign individuals over an extended period of time, partly directly and partly indirectly," Israel police and the Ministry of Justice said in a written statement.