Netanyahu Trial: Police Met Journalist Behind AG's Back
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's lawyer, Amit Haddad, revealed during former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit's testimony that police investigators met with journalist Ben Caspit without Mandelblit's knowledge. Mandelblit confirmed he was unaware of the meetings and suspected Caspit was receiving improper information. The defense presented these meetings as evidence of police actions contradicting Mandelblit's public statements about inaccurate reporting, highlighting a gap between legal oversight and on-the-ground operations.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Netanyahu's lawyer claims police met journalist Ben Caspit behind former AG Mandelblit's back.
- Mandelblit confirmed he was unaware of the meetings with Caspit.
- The meetings occurred while Mandelblit warned against inaccurate reporting on the Netanyahu investigation.
- The defense presented the meetings as evidence of police actions outside legal oversight.
- Mandelblit suspected Caspit was receiving improper information from police.
During the testimony of former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit in the Netanyahu trial, the Prime Minister's lawyer, Amit Haddad, revealed that police investigators continued to meet with journalist Ben Caspit without Mandelblit's knowledge. These meetings occurred precisely when Mandelblit had issued a public statement against inaccurate reporting and leaks concerning the investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mandelblit confirmed he was unaware of these meetings and admitted he had a feeling Caspit was receiving improper information. Haddad presented a timeline from July 2016, asserting that the meetings with Caspit took place without the Attorney General's knowledge or approval. This was highlighted during Mandelblit's cross-examination in court.
The defense lawyer presented a stark contrast between Mandelblit's public warning on July 10, 2016, about inaccurate media reports and the investigators' actions. Two days after this official warning, police investigator Tzachi Havkin met with Caspit again, reportedly on the orders of his commander, Meshulam. Haddad questioned Mandelblit directly about his awareness of these ongoing meetings with Caspit while the journalist was allegedly publishing inaccurate information.
Mandelblit unequivocally responded "No" when asked if he was aware of the meetings. Haddad strongly criticized the meetings, calling them "crazy" and emphasizing that Caspit held a hostile public stance towards Netanyahu and had obtained internal information. The defense aimed to demonstrate a significant gap between the legal framework presented to the Attorney General and the actual events on the ground.
While Mandelblit acknowledged he did not know about the specific meeting, he did not confirm if it was illegal. When asked if he suspected Caspit was receiving direct leaks from the police, Mandelblit stated, "That was the feeling I had," though he did not personally track every media publication. The defense presented these alleged secret meetings with Caspit as further evidence of the police's conduct at the time, operating with limited legal oversight from the Attorney General.
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