Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai claimed on Tuesday that there was no excessive surveillance of civilians and insisted that an initial probe found no wrongdoings on the part of the police.
Shabtai instructed senior officers to investigate allegations made by Ynet's sister outlet Calcalist on Monday, claiming the police surveilled the smartphones of civilians who were not suspected of committing crimes, including three director generals of government ministries, using NSO's controversial Pegasus spyware.
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Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai meeting UAE counterparts on Tuesday
(Photo: Police Spokesperson)
The commissioner, who is on an official visit to the UAE, decided to cut his trip short and return to Israel later on Tuesday, in the wake of public criticism of his absence amid the scandal.
In a letter to police forces, Shabtai wrote that an inquiry into the recently published allegations was already underway by the Justice Ministry.
Some ministers, including Justice Minister Gideon Saar, have said publicly on Tuesday that they would support a national commission of inquiry to determine if the police violated the law and if so, who gave the order to surveille civilians without legal justification and authority.
Monday's Calcalist report said that the spyware was used illegally on dozens of civilians including public servants. Initial investigations revealed that among those who were subjected to the surveillance, were people who were never under suspicion of criminal activity.
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Public servants believed to have been spied on by police including the son of former PM Netanyahu
(Photo: Ynet)
In his letter, the commissioner also wrote that he had faith in the credibility of the force including in the intelligence units. "The police will continue to cooperate with any inquiry into the validity of the allegations," Shabtai wrote.
"In a democracy, law enforcement must be given the most advanced tools in order to fight crime, save lives and carry out its duties to protect public security. It is our duty to use such tools under the law only, any violation of these norms, should they be found, would be dealt with forcefully," he wrote.
"The investigative work that is done according to the law, is carried out in reverence of the right to privacy. That is how we have always conducted ourselves and will continue to do so in the future," he wrote.
"We will continue to carry out our missions out of a sense of duty, and while preserving democratic values."