Israeli Prison Service chief questioned over alleged witness intimidation scheme

Israel’s Prison Service commissioner, Maj. Gen. Kobi Yaakobi, was questioned under caution on suspicion of witness intimidation, according to a report first published by legal commentator Avishai Grinzig. The case is said to involve a plan tied to the police and the Police Internal Investigations Department, known as Mahash.

Investigators suspect Yaakobi worked with Israel Police Human Resources chief, Maj. Gen. Alona Shohan, to record a key witness against him, Lt. Col. Lior Abudraham, the police spokesman. The alleged aim was to get Abudraham to speak about supposedly improper ties with senior figures in Mahash.

Earlier on the same day, Shohan reportedly gave detailed testimony to the Israel Competition Authority and handed over recordings connected to Abudraham’s contacts with senior Mahash officials. In one of the recordings, Abudraham is heard bragging and speaking crudely about the prosecutor in the case, including making harsh remarks about her.

However, investigators stressed that they have no evidence supporting Abudraham’s claims and no indication that the prosecutor acted inappropriately. The affair is described as a serious and complex scandal shaking the leadership of the Prison Service and the Israel Police.