New Recordings Bolster Evidence Against Former Bar Association Head Efi Nae

Israeli police have uncovered additional recordings of Efi Nae, the former head of the Israel Bar Association, which investigators believe strengthen the evidence against him and former District Court President Eitan Orenstein in the Orenstein-Nae case. The new recordings, reported by i24NEWS correspondent Avishai Grinzaig, are seen by the police as sufficient to indict both men on charges including bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.

The case file is now being transferred to the State Prosecutor's Office and the Attorney General for a decision on potential indictments. A key focus moving forward will be the admissibility of the evidence, particularly the newly found recordings.

Nae and Orenstein were initially detained for questioning by Lahav 433, the Israel Police's serious and fraud investigation unit, on May 28, 2024. The investigation was prompted by media reports approximately two months prior.

Former Minister Ayelet Shaked provided an open testimony in the case in July. Earlier, in May, i24NEWS reported that Lahav 433 and its head of investigations had sought to question Shaked under caution for breach of trust, despite acknowledging the statute of limitations had expired four years earlier. The accompanying prosecution team reportedly supported this move.

In response to the initial investigation, the current head of the Israel Bar Association, Amit Bachar, stated that there is no room for compromise in the fight for integrity and that the association condemns improper conduct involving favors for appointments, vowing to continue operating with transparency.