Ehud Olmert, the former Israeli prime minister, was indicted on Sunday on corruption charges that led to his resignation from the premiership last year and appear likely to end his three-decade political career.

The 61-page indictment marked the first time a sitting or retired Israeli premier faced criminal charges.

The formal charges against Mr Olmert include fraud, breach of trust, falsifying corporate documents and failure to report income, according to a statement released by the justice ministry. The statement did not provide details on when a trial is scheduled to begin or what penalties the former premier might face.

Mr Olmert, a 63-year-old lawyer by training, has denied any wrongdoing in the cases, which date from his terms as mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003 and as minister of industry and trade from 2003 to 2006.

The indictment stems from several separate probes, including into allegations that Mr Olmert illegally accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Jewish American businessman and double-billed non-profit groups and the government for official travel abroad while pocketing the difference.

A spokesman for Mr Olmert released a statement saying: “Olmert is convinced that in court he will be able to prove his innocence once and for all.”