Judge Questions Investigation Basis in Netanyahu Trial
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
In Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial, Judge Moshe Bar-Am questioned the basis of the investigation into cigars, suggesting former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit never authorized it. During Mandelblit's cross-examination, defense lawyer Amit Haddad presented evidence of Mandelblit's reservations. Mandelblit later testified that he did not authorize the cigar investigation, stating it was not a significant criminal suspicion. The judge's intervention casts doubt on the police's investigative actions.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Judge Moshe Bar-Am questioned the authorization of the cigar investigation in Netanyahu's trial.
- Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit stated he did not authorize the cigar investigation.
- Defense presented evidence of Mandelblit's reservations about investigating cigars.
- The judge's comments cast doubt on the police's investigative mandate.
- The trial concerns allegations of bribery and other offenses against Netanyahu.
During a hearing in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial, Judge Moshe Bar-Am intervened significantly, suggesting that former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit may not have authorized an investigation into the matter of cigars.
The intervention occurred during the cross-examination of Mandelblit by Netanyahu's lawyer, Amit Haddad. Haddad presented a confidential protocol from a July 2016 meeting where Mandelblit reportedly expressed strong reservations about investigating issues he claimed were outside the scope of his directives to the police. Haddad also presented details from the interrogation of former Netanyahu aide Ari Harow, describing the receipt of cigars and champagne by Netanyahu, and argued these were precisely the matters Mandelblit had not approved for investigation.
Prosecutor Gildin strongly objected, claiming the defense was misrepresenting the evidence and that Mandelblit's reservations pertained only to isolated incidents, not a broader suspicion of receiving significant gifts. However, Judge Bar-Am stated, "Apparently, Mandelblit did not authorize an investigation into cigars at all." He emphasized that the dispute was not about the quantity of cigars received but the fundamental question of whether the investigation into the matter was ever approved.
Mandelblit, when recalled to the stand, recalled information about people bringing Netanyahu cigars but stated he did not see it as sufficient grounds for an investigation at the time. He reiterated that he had explicitly authorized investigations only into suspicions of receiving enormous gifts from businessmen, not isolated incidents that did not indicate significant criminal suspicion. When asked by the judge if the cigar matter fell under his authorization, Mandelblit replied, "No."
Haddad insisted that the materials from Harow's interrogation indicated systematic, long-term receipt of cigars, not isolated events. The judge's intervention and the ensuing debate cast legal doubt on the legitimacy of the police's actions during the initial investigation phase, lending weight to the defense's claim that investigators may have exceeded their mandate.
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