Lawyer Denounces Police Decision to Remove Yoav Eliasi from Volunteer Unit as Mistaken
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Yoav Eliasi was officially removed from his police volunteer role amid a breach of trust investigation, but his lawyer claims the decision was mistaken and based on false grounds. The police ended his service while the criminal probe continues, and Eliasi hopes to return if cleared.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Yoav Eliasi was officially dismissed from the police volunteer unit amid a breach of trust probe.
- His lawyer says the removal letter was mistakenly issued and based on false claims.
- Eliasi had voluntarily paused volunteering before the investigation became public.
- He was questioned over alleged misuse of connections benefiting a nightclub linked to his brother.
- Three police officers are also under investigation for favoring the nightclub.
- Police finalized the dismissal despite the ongoing criminal investigation.
Yoav Eliasi, known as "HaTzel," was officially removed from his volunteer position in the Israeli police following an internal investigation by the Police Investigations Department (Mahash). The decision came after Eliasi was questioned under caution on suspicions of breach of trust related to allegations that he exploited his connections to benefit a nightclub linked to his brother. Three police officers are also under investigation for allegedly providing favorable treatment to the same club.
Eliasi's lawyer, Ariel Atri, strongly criticized the police decision, calling it a "mistaken decision" based on false claims. Atri stated that the notification letter about Eliasi's removal, which cited failure to attend an interview as the reason, was issued in error since Eliasi and his lawyer did attend the meeting. Furthermore, Eliasi had voluntarily suspended his volunteer activities prior to the investigation becoming public. Atri emphasized their intention to challenge the removal.
Despite Eliasi's suspension upon the emergence of the allegations and his expressed pride in his three years of service, the police concluded the disciplinary hearing with his dismissal while the criminal investigation is still ongoing. Eliasi responded by describing the dismissal as routine and automatic for volunteers under investigation and expressed his hope to return to service if cleared of wrongdoing.
The case highlights ongoing scrutiny within the police force regarding potential abuses of power and the handling of volunteer personnel amid active investigations.
