Senior Police and Prison Service Officials Questioned in Witness-Tampering Probe

Israel’s Police Commissioner for Human Resources, Maj. Gen. Alona Shushan, and the head of the Prison Service, Kobi Yaakobi, were questioned under caution on Wednesday at the offices of the Israel Competition Authority in a probe into suspected witness tampering. The investigation centers on allegations that efforts to tie Lt. Col. Lior Aboodraham to other misconduct were intended to undermine his credibility as a witness in Yaakobi’s case.

The case began with Shushan’s claim that Aboodraham, who heads the police spokespersons division and is a witness in the Yaakobi affair, was having an affair with a woman investigator from the Police Internal Investigations Department, known as Makhash, who was handling Yaakobi’s file. A polygraph examination of both Aboodraham and the investigator later found they were telling the truth, and Shushan’s allegation of an improper relationship was disproved.

About two weeks after that claim was found false, Shushan filed a formal complaint accusing Aboodraham of verbal sexual harassment. Aboodraham was questioned at the Competition Authority several days ago and denied all allegations. Investigators are now checking whether the harassment complaint itself was part of an attempt to pressure and harass the witness.

The unusual handling of the affair by the Competition Authority, rather than Makhash, came after Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara accepted Yaakobi’s argument that there were conflicts of interest and flaws in Makhash’s conduct. A separate connection also emerged, Yaakobi’s sister works as Shushan’s personal assistant. Aboodraham’s lawyer, Sharon Vaknin, said his client is facing a “campaign of defamation” because of his truthful testimony, and added that Aboodraham was released without restrictions and expects the truth to emerge soon. Police and Makhash have not yet issued an official response.