AG implies Netanyahu cannot be involved in appointing new police commissioner
Attorney General Avihai Mendelblit asks Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan to consult him before deciding on possible candidates to replace outgoing police commissioner in order to avoid possible conflict of interests, implying Prime Minister Netanyahu can't be involved in the new appointment due to the multiple cases he is being investigated for.
Mendelblit's request implies Netanyahu could not be involved in the appointment of a new police commissioner.
In a letter sent by Mendelblit to Erdan he said that "I've recently received several inquiries whether the current police commissioner's tenure will be extended or a new commissioner will be appointed."
"According to the inquiries the prime minister and other ministers shouldn't be involved in this matter since a conflict of interests is possible in light of the fact they are being investigated by the police (for corruption—ed)," the AG said.
"In response to questions addressed to you by the media regarding this matter—including questions that were addressed to you (Monday)—you clarified that you had not yet begun dealing with the matter," Mendelblit wrote to Erdan.
"Under these circumstances, the claim of conflict of interest is not relevant at the moment. I ask you to consult me before you begin reviewing the matter so I could weigh the conflict of interest's aspects related to the MKs who are being investigated by the police, and to guide you accordingly," he went on to say.
Zionist Union's MK Itzik Shmuli who sent the AG a letter regarding the matter said Tuesday "It seems my demand to urgently receive the AG's opinion (regarding the police commissioner appointment) did its part."
"As required by both the purity of the procedure and appearances, a full or partial restriction will be imposed on Netanyahu's involvement in appointing the new commissioner," Shmuli added.
"It's unacceptable that a prime minister who is up to his neck in investigations and suspicions will be responsible for appointing the authority responsible for seeing the investigations held against him through," he explained.
In March, Netanyahu was questioned in his Jerusalem's residence for four hours on the Bezeq-Walla! probe (Case 4000).
At the same time, his wife Sara Netanyahu was also questioned at the Lahav 433 unit's headquarters.
The prime minister's son, Yair Netanyahu, was questioned under caution for the first time at the Israel Securities Authority's offices.
State's witnesses Nir Hefetz and Shlomo Filber were at Lahav 433 unit's headquarters during Sara Netanyahu's questioning.
Bezeq Majority shareholder Shaul Elovitch and outgoing Bezeq CEO Stella Handler were also questioned that day.
The former prime minister's chief of staff David Sharan who is mainly related to the submarines affair—Case 3000— arrived as well to the Lahav 433 unit's office to give an open testimony.
During the two weeks prior to the questioning, the police took Hefetz's testimony who was the prime minister's associate and his media advisor.
He was questioned about the Netanyahu family's ties to the Walla website and the favorable coverage Netanyahu and his family had received in exchange to the alleged enormous benefits that were given to Bezeq that owns the Walla website.
The prime minister and his family were then confronted for the first time with Hefetz's testimony and had to provide explanations to their actions.
