Among the places raided were the Industry and Trade Ministry, the Postal Authority and Jerusalem's City Hall, said police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld.
"Police investigators are searching a number of government and private offices in connection with three ongoing investigations" into Olmert, Rosenfeld said.
He said authorities were expected to confiscate documents and other materials, but gave no further details.
Officials in Olmert's office declined comment. In the past, the prime minister has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has dismissed the investigations as a political witch hunt.
In one case, Olmert is suspected of buying a luxurious Jerusalem home at a substantial discount from a developer in exchange for arranging construction permits for the builder. Olmert is a former mayor of Jerusalem.
In a second case, police are looking into suspicions that Olmert acted improperly when he was trade minister earlier this decade. Authorities suspect Olmert steered a government grant to a friend and arranged improper political appointments.
Olmert also is suspected of trying — unsuccessfully — to rig the sale of Israel's second-largest bank in favor of two associates while he was finance minister in 2005.
Olmert has been dogged by corruption allegations throughout his three-decade career in politics, but has never been convicted of any wrongdoing.
Olmert is preparing for a U.S.-hosted Mideast peace conference later this month in Annapolis, Md. He hopes the gathering will provide a launching pad for formal peace talks with the Palestinians after a seven-year lull.
- No power can disarm Hezbollah: Nasrallah AFP, 3 minutes ago
- 100 Israeli police seize Olmert graft probe documents AFP, 6 minutes ago
Off the Wires
- Security fears plague Lebanon AP via Yahoo! News, Nov 08
- Mid-East diary: Summit prospects at BBC, Nov 07
Feature Articles
- West Bank settlements 'expanding' at BBC, Nov 07
- Lebanon's militias rearm before vote The Christian Science Monitor via Yahoo! News, Nov 07
News Stories
- The importance of a failed summit at Haaretz, Oct 29
- What will happen after Bush? at Haaretz, Oct 29
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