Mandelblit testifies on limits of police authority in Netanyahu trial
The former attorney-general told the court that investigators did not need separate approval for each step within the scope of his initial orders.
By Jason Kovalenko ·
Avichai Mandelblit, the former attorney-general, returned to the Jerusalem District Court on Monday to continue his defense testimony. His appearance centers on a specific legal question: whether police investigators exceeded the investigative permissions he originally granted.
Mandelblit authorized the initial probes and later signed off on the indictment. Amit Hadad, Netanyahu's lawyer, questioned Mandelblit about the specific boundaries of that authority. Hadad sought to establish which investigative steps required additional consent and which were covered by the original approval.
On Sunday, Mandelblit testified that he ordered police to halt wiretapping of Natan Eshel, a close associate of the prime minister. Although investigators held a court warrant, Mandelblit stated that the operation was sensitive enough to require his prior approval because Eshel was deeply involved in Netanyahu's personal and political affairs.
Monday's hearing focused on Case 1000, which involves alleged gifts from businessmen Arnon Milchan and James Packer. Hadad asked if investigators went beyond their mandate when they questioned Milchan's assistant, Hadas Klein, and Packer's driver, Yonatan Hasson, about those gifts.
Mandelblit maintained that the questioning of Klein and Hasson fell within his broader permission to examine suspicions that Netanyahu received substantial benefits from businessmen. He stated that this general permission remained in force, meaning investigators did not need to return to him for approval of every individual action.
Judge Moshe Bar-Am asked how investigators could distinguish between steps covered by the authorization and those requiring new consent. Mandelblit replied that the subject matter he approved set the boundaries, while major developments called for further consultation.
The trial began in May 2020 and covers three cases involving alleged gifts and dealings with media owners. Netanyahu faces fraud and breach of trust charges in all three cases. In Case 4000, he also faces a bribery charge related to alleged regulatory benefits for Bezeq in exchange for influence over Walla news coverage. Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing.
More Politics · World news · Report a business · Got a Story?
