Justice Minister seems to violate gag order from Hefetz case.
Acting Justice Minister Amir Ohana attacked Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit on Wednesday, saying the decision not to probe law enforcement leaks against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu violated prior High Court of Justice decisions.
Ohana and Netanyahu’s lawyers have argued that the leaks themselves, as well as new allegations from this week that the police improperly pressured Nir Hefetz into turning state’s witness against the prime minister, may have harmed the right to a fair trial.
Mandelblit and the prosecution have said that general policy with similar leaks is not to probe because of the potential harm to freedom of the press and silencing whistleblowers.
There point has been that resisting a powerhouse like an allegedly corrupt prime minister is a fitting purpose and should not necessarily be criminally probed, though they do condemn the leaks and have called on leakers to stop.
Ohana received help from Judge David Rozen on Tuesday, who has oversight of the prosecution, and who called the leaks “a blow to the state.”
Continuing the round of attacks and counterattacks between himself versus the attorney-general and the prosecution, he listed off three prosecutors who were indicted for corruption, including Ruth David, a previous head of the prominent Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office.
The acting justice minister accused prosecutors of hiding improper conduct and said that Rozen does not have sufficient powers to set them straight.
He called for an outside probe of the prosecution, though he was vague about exactly what he was seeking and, as mere acting justice minister as opposed to a permanent appointment, he has limited power in this area.
Ohana also seemed to violate the gag order prohibiting publishing details about a third party who the police questioned in February 2018, seemingly to pressure Hefetz into turning state’s witness.
He noted that the third party was a woman and that the police’s questions related to improper romantic relations between them – since Hefetz is married.
Throughout Ohana’s speech, Labor MK Revital Suade and Blue and White MKs Yael German and Yoel Segolovitz interrupted saying he should be ashamed for trying to tear down the country’s law enforcement at Netanyahu’s bidding.
Mandelblit is expected to indict Netanyahu in the coming weeks.
As reported by The Jerusalem Post