Defense Presses Ex-AG on Police Authority in Netanyahu Trial

A dispute over the scope of police power has become the focal point of the trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Former Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit returned to the Jerusalem District Court on Monday to defend the limits of his investigative approvals. The defense team is testing whether investigators stayed within the boundaries of the consent he granted.

Mandelblit authorized the initial investigations and later signed off on the indictment. He is now testifying for the defense. His lawyer, Amit Hadad, questioned him about which specific actions required further consent from the former Attorney-General. Hadad focused on whether investigators exceeded their authority during the probe of Case 1000.

The questioning centered on the preliminary examination that evolved into Case 1000. This case involves allegations that Netanyahu received costly gifts from businessmen Arnon Milchan and James Packer. The defense argued that investigators went beyond their mandate when they questioned Hadas Klein, Milchan's assistant, and Yonatan Hasson, Packer's driver. Hadad asked if these interviews required separate approval from Mandelblit.

Mandelblit rejected the idea that new consent was needed for every move. He stated that his permission to examine suspicions of substantial benefits from businessmen remained in force. Investigators did not have to return to him for approval of each individual action. He maintained that the questioning of Klein and Hasson fell within that wider permission.

Judge Moshe Bar-Am asked how investigators could distinguish between steps covered by the original authorization and those needing additional consent. Mandelblit answered that the subject matter he approved set the boundaries. He said that significant developments would call for further consultation, but routine steps within that scope did not.

On Sunday, Mandelblit testified about the wiretapping of Natan Eshel, a confidant of Netanyahu. He said he ordered police to stop the operation once he learned of it. Investigators had a court warrant, but Mandelblit argued that Eshel's close relationship with the prime minister made the operation sensitive. He believed they should have sought his approval first.

Netanyahu's trial began in May 2020. It 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. Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing.