Op-ed: Once Edri failed to disclose his meeting with the polygraph expert, his behavior turned from bewildering to criminal. It’s unfair to judge him by the two unnecessary meetings he held, but he can only blame himself. He disqualified himself.
Moshe “Chico” Edri was supposed to pass the hurdle posed by the Goldberg committee, despite the fact that he was disqualified by one vote. He was supposed to pass because the top echelon of the State Attorney’s Office disapproved of his disqualification.
After all, Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan made every effort to avoid any mistake. He went by the book. He coordinated his actions. He received the stamp of approval from Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit.
It is worth noting that even after Edri was disqualified, most media outlets were against it. So the road to the government’s approval of Edri’s appointment was paved, and apparently, backed by Mandelblit.
However, the person who torpedoed the appointment was Edri himself. While Erdan didn’t make any mistakes, Edri made every possible mistake, especially in the final moments of his approval process.
These are not stories from his past. There are no perfect police officers. This is all Edri’s doing—ever since he found out he was the primary candidate for the police commissioner’s position.
His meeting with attorney Pinchas (Pini) Fischler, who represented the main complainant against him, could have been excused. He could have also explained his meeting with polygraph expert Chava Yodfat, to prepare for the challenging test.
However, once he found out that Uran Polygraph Ltd, Yodfat’s employer, will perform his lie-detector test—he had to report it. Once he failed to disclose this fact, as reported on Wednesday, his behavior is no longer bewildering, but criminal.
Did he really think it would remain a secret forever? Is it possible to hide anything in such a small country? Edri’s conduct may not be criminal, but it certainly disqualifies him, in every way, from the high office of the police commissioner.
Worse yet, Edri is supposed to know how white-collar offenders operate. From the moment the investigation begins, or at least from the moment they are aware of it, they get nervous. Although they are usually not stupid people, they nevertheless fall into the trap, leading to obstruction of justice. They make every possible mistake.Worse yet, Edri is supposed to know how white-collar offenders operate. From the moment the investigation begins, or at least from the moment they are aware of it, they get nervous. Although they are usually not stupid people, they nevertheless fall into the trap, leading to obstruction of justice. They make every possible mistake.
In Case 4000, which Edri is well versed in, the suspects reportedly started to destroy evidence. If they have nothing to hide as they claim, why bother hiding? The Goldberg Committee is not a criminal courthouse, but Edri behaved like a criminal facing criminal charges.
The strange thing is that if Edri had refrained from making these mistakes—once it became known he is the leading candidate—his appointment would have been approved by now.
It is a bit unfair to judge his entire past by the two unnecessary meetings he held, but he can only blame himself. He disqualified himself.
As reported by Ynetnews