Ex-AG Mandelblit Surprised by Police Suspicions in Netanyahu Trial
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit testified in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial, stating he was surprised by the extent of police suspicions. He confirmed authorizing only two specific issues in Cases 1000 and 2000, and that broader suspicions presented by police, including bribery related to "Israel Hayom," were not authorized by him. Netanyahu's lawyer argued this showed the police exceeded their mandate, potentially invalidating evidence.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Former AG Mandelblit testified he was surprised by police suspicions presented in Netanyahu's trial.
- Mandelblit stated he only authorized two specific issues in Cases 1000 and 2000.
- He acknowledged broader police suspicions, including bribery related to "Israel Hayom," were not authorized.
- Netanyahu's lawyer argued police exceeded their investigative mandate without AG approval.
- The defense seeks to invalidate evidence obtained through unauthorized investigative actions.
Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit testified in the trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing surprise at the scope of suspicions presented by the police. During his cross-examination by Netanyahu's lawyer, Amit Haddad, requests for wiretaps from March 2017 were presented, detailing suspicions of bribery, obstruction of justice, and incitement, alongside references to the "Israel Hayom" newspaper and Prime Minister's associate Natan Eshel.
Mandelblit stated that he had only authorized investigations into two specific issues within Cases 1000 and 2000 at that time. He acknowledged that the offenses presented to him by the police did not align with the scope of the investigations he had permitted, noting, "These types of offenses do not connect to the issues I authorized for investigation." Haddad argued that this indicated the police had expanded their investigations beyond the Attorney General's approved boundaries.
The defense presented evidence of wiretap requests for Natan Eshel, approved on March 6, 2017, and questioned Mandelblit about the authorized scope of investigations. Mandelblit confirmed he had approved inquiries into "receiving benefits in large quantities from businessmen" in Case 1000 and "Case 2000," which he later clarified included "recorded conversations with [publisher Arnon] Mozes." He explicitly denied knowledge of police investigating Netanyahu for bribery related to "Israel Hayom," including allegations of cash payments in dollar envelopes.
Mandelblit clarified that while a general authorization to investigate benefits could encompass further lines of inquiry if factually connected to the original suspicion, he did not explicitly approve bribery investigations against the Prime Minister. He emphasized his role was to approve the opening of investigations into presented topics, not specific criminal offenses. The defense aims to demonstrate that investigative actions exceeding these approved topics were conducted without legal authorization from the Attorney General, potentially impacting the admissibility of evidence.
Mentioned
