Mandelblit tells court police had standing authority in Netanyahu trial
The former attorney general testified that investigators did not need new consent for every step in the probe into gifts from businessmen.
By Chioma Brooks ·
Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit told the Jerusalem District Court on Monday that police investigators did not require his specific approval for every action taken during the probe of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mandelblit is testifying for the defense in Netanyahu’s trial. His lawyer, Amit Hadad, asked the former official to clarify the scope of the initial authorization granted to police. The defense argues that investigators exceeded those limits.
The hearing focused on Case 1000, which involves allegations that Netanyahu received expensive gifts from producers Arnon Milchan and James Packer. Hadad questioned whether police overstepped when they interviewed Hadas Klein, Milchan’s assistant, and Yonatan Hasson, Packer’s driver, about those gifts.
Mandelblit responded that questioning those individuals fell within his broader permission to examine suspicions that Netanyahu received substantial benefits from businessmen. He stated that this permission remained in force without the need for a new sign-off for each specific interview.
Judge Moshe Bar-Am asked how investigators were to distinguish between routine steps and those requiring fresh consent. Mandelblit explained that the subject matter of his approval set the boundaries, while major new developments would trigger further consultation.
In testimony given on Sunday, Mandelblit addressed a separate matter involving wiretaps. He said he ordered police to stop monitoring Natan Eshel, a close confidant of Netanyahu, once he learned of the operation. Although investigators held a court warrant, Mandelblit argued they should have sought his prior approval given Eshel’s proximity to the prime minister’s personal affairs.
Netanyahu’s trial began in May 2020 and covers three cases involving alleged gifts and dealings with media owners. He faces charges of fraud and breach of trust in all three cases. In Case 4000, he also faces a bribery charge related to alleged regulatory benefits for Bezeq in exchange for intervention in news coverage of Walla. Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
