Police chief urges unity amid investigation of senior officers

Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy sent a letter to all police personnel on Monday addressing, for the first time, the investigation into senior officers suspected of witness harassment in the so-called Yakobi affair. The probe concerns Deputy Commissioner Alona Shushan and Brig. Gen. Lior Abudraham. Levy said, “The clarification of the facts is in the hands of the authorized bodies, and I trust their professional and serious work.”

He stressed that everyone involved is presumed innocent and added, “We will respect the process and allow it to proceed as required.” Levy ended by backing his subordinates, saying, “I am proud of you, appreciate the resilience you are showing and trust you. This time calls on us for unity, discipline and focus on our tasks.”

The case centers on allegations that efforts to connect Abudraham to various offenses were intended to damage his credibility as a prosecution witness. It began after Shushan reported that Abudraham was having an affair with an investigator from the Police Internal Investigations Department who worked on the case of Israel Prisons Service chief Kobi Yaakobi. Both Abudraham and the investigator later underwent a polygraph test and were found truthful, disproving Shushan’s claims.

About two weeks later, Shushan filed a formal complaint accusing Abudraham of verbal sexual harassment. He was questioned several days ago by the Israel Competition Authority, denied the allegations completely, and gave his version of events. Investigators are now examining whether the harassment complaint was part of a planned effort to pressure the witness. Unusually, the case is being handled by the Competition Authority rather than the Police Internal Investigations Department, after Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara accepted Yaakobi’s claims of a conflict of interest and flaws in the internal investigation. Yaakobi also alleged improper ties between Abudraham and the investigators. It was additionally revealed that Yaakobi’s sister serves as Shushan’s personal assistant.