Ex-AG Mandelblit Denies Approving Cigar Investigation
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit testified that he never approved an investigation into cigars and champagne, stating police exceeded their mandate in Prime Minister Netanyahu's trial. Netanyahu's lawyer presented documents suggesting police acted beyond their authorized scope. Mandelblit distinguished between minor gifts and systematic corruption, noting later testimony significantly changed the investigation's direction. The defense claims police actions on cigars and champagne lacked explicit AG approval.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Former AG Mandelblit stated he never approved an investigation into cigars and champagne.
- Netanyahu's lawyer presented documents suggesting police exceeded their mandate.
- Mandelblit testified that initial information did not justify a cigar investigation.
- The defense argues police acted on their own initiative without explicit approval.
- Later testimony, particularly from Hadas Klein, significantly altered the investigation.
- The prosecution claims the defense is misrepresenting Mandelblit's statements.
During cross-examination in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial, former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit stated he never approved an investigation into cigars and champagne, asserting that police exceeded their mandate. Netanyahu's lawyer, Amit Haddad, presented documents from the investigation of former aide Ari Harow and a July 17, 2016, meeting protocol, where Mandelblit explicitly stated, "This is definitely not what I approved at the time."
Mandelblit clarified that the initial information about receiving cigars and champagne did not justify an investigation. When asked if he would have approved it based on the information presented then, he replied, "Based on what was shown to me at the time, I would not approve." The defense argued that the police overstepped the approvals granted to them.
Haddad presented details from Harow's interrogation, describing Netanyahu's receipt of cigars and other gifts over the years, including from businessman Arnon Milchan. The defense contended this proved the police acted on their own initiative, investigating matters not explicitly authorized.
Mandelblit distinguished between isolated, minor instances of receiving gifts and a substantial suspicion of systematic gift-taking. He stated he authorized investigations into large-scale gifts from businessmen but saw no justification for an investigation based on limited information about occasional presents. He later acknowledged that additional dramatic information emerged during the investigation, particularly from the testimony of Hadas Klein, which significantly altered the case's trajectory.
A heated exchange occurred between Haddad and prosecutor Gildin, who accused the defense of misrepresenting Mandelblit's statements. The prosecution argued Mandelblit's initial reservations pertained to isolated cigar incidents, not a broader pattern of systematic gift-taking. The core of the defense's argument is that police actions regarding cigars and champagne went beyond the limited mandate provided by the Attorney General.
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