Israel's Attorney General to Indict Prison Chief Yaakovy Again

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara is reportedly set to file an additional indictment against Kobi Yaakovy, the Commissioner of the Israel Prison Service, in connection with the "Associates of Minister Ben-Gvir" affair. Yaakovy is expected to face trial for allegedly harassing a witness and obstructing justice concerning former Police Spokesperson Unit head Lior Abudraham, who testified against Yaakovy. The Attorney General's office is also reportedly preparing to indict Alona Shoshan, the former head of the Police Human Resources Division, for witness harassment and obstruction of legal proceedings. Shoshan had allegedly recorded Abudraham.

This potential indictment follows a previous intention to charge Yaakovy six months ago for breach of trust and obstruction of an investigation. These earlier suspicions involved Yaakovy allegedly providing information about a covert investigation into his actions to then-commander Avishai Moalem. The investigation reportedly concerned Yaakovy's alleged efforts to prevent the arrest of Jewish terror suspects in Judea and Samaria in exchange for career advancement within the police.

Yaakovy's attorney, Uri Korb, stated that they had not yet received official notification and suggested the report was another leak. He criticized the timing of the decision, five days before elections, as indicative of ulterior motives, especially given the two-year investigation into a commissioner who he claims revolutionized the prison service. Korb also alleged that Yaakovy himself had raised suspicions about the conduct of the Police Internal Investigations Department (Mahash), including claims that the central witness against him, Abudraham, had inappropriate relationships with a Mahash investigator and prosecutor, suggesting the investigation was compromised.

Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir expressed full support for Yaakovy, calling the impending indictment a continuation of a "persecution campaign" against him and senior officers who implement government policy. He accused the legal system of fighting those who bring about change instead of fighting crime and characterized the Attorney General as acting as a "political opposition leader."

Shoshan, who had been absent from police duties for months due to the investigation, recently announced her resignation as head of the Human Resources Division. She had denied the allegations against her and, in turn, filed a complaint against Abudraham for sexual harassment, which he denies. Shoshan's departure marks the third senior official involved in the Ben-Gvir associates case to resign, following Moalem and Abudraham.