BICOM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised Israel’s Police Commissioner and questioned the objectivity of the investigations into his alleged bribery and misconduct.

On Wednesday evening, Netanyahu attacked Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich who told Channel Two’s Uvda programme that “very powerful forces” had sent private investigators to “sniff around” detectives involved in the Netanyahu investigations and to collect “information” about them.

Following the interview, Netanyahu said on Facebook that an investigation should be launched into the allegations that Alsheich had raised. “Imagine how you would feel if the police detectives who were investigating you alleged that you had employed private investigators against them and their families,” Netanyahu said. He questioned whether officers could act objectively under such circumstances, and demanded an independent investigation.

Kan Radio News reported this morning that a few months ago Alsheich presented Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and State Attorney Shai Nitzan with details of attempts to put senior officers under surveillance. According to the report, Mandelblit and Nitzan asked the commissioner to send them more information or evidence in order to decide how to handle the matter, but Alsheich did not send additional material and a probe was not started.

One media report suggested that a European figure close to the Prime Minister was responsible for the surveillance work

Zionist Union Chairman Avi Gabbay defended the police commissioner saying: “The Prime Minister is acting like the lowliest of criminals and has launched an unbridled attack on the commissioner and the police…. the attack on the commissioner is illegitimate.”

Israeli media have reported that the police are expected next week to conclude their two investigations of the Prime Minister and recommend in one that he be indicted for bribery and breach of trust. In the first case, Netanyahu is suspected of illicitly receiving tens of thousands of dollars worth of cigars and champagne from wealthy friends. In the second, he is accused of offering to pass legislation that would benefit a newspaper publisher in return for favourable coverage. The Prime Minister has denied any wrongdoing.