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Israel: Netanyahu pick for government watchdog working to end corruption probes

July 29, 2019 at 3:41 pm

Matanyahu Engelman, newly appointed State Comptroller whose candidacy was backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [Wikimedia commons]

Matanyahu Engelman – Israel’s recently-instated State Comptroller whose candidacy was backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – is now working to dismantle the unit which oversees investigations into government corruption.

Engelman became State Comptroller – the official who reviews the Israeli government’s policies and operations – last month, replacing Joseph Shapira who had held the position since 2012.

Engelman was Netanyahu’s candidate for State Comptroller. His election by the Knesset over opposition candidate Giora Romm was seen as a crucial victory for Netanyahu following his failure to form a ruling coalition in the wake of April’s general election and evidence of his ability to still influence Knesset votes.

Engelman’s appointment was not, however, without controversy. An accountant who previously headed Israel’s Council for Higher Education, Engelman is the first comptroller in 30 years who is not a former judge. This prompted speculation that Netanyahu had an ulterior motive for backing his candidacy.

READ: Netanyahu denies intention to amend immunity law

Now Haaretz has revealed that Engelman “is bent on revolutionizing his office, taking a softer approach toward all branches of government, with a downshift in addressing corruption in high places”.

The Israeli daily yesterday reported it has “learned that Engelman wants to abolish the unit [of the State Comptroller’s office] that handles special cases,” explaining that “in recent years, this unit has mainly dealt with cases of suspected corruption or breach of ethics in higher government echelons”.

This unit – known as the Special Assignments Department – has previously investigated former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Netanyahu’s wife Sara, convicting her in what became known as the “catered meal” scandal.

“Sources say that Engelman asked senior officials in his office to change how they prepare their annual workplans, which determine the entities and issues that will be investigated in the coming year,” Haaretz explained, adding: “Engelman requested that officials engage the agencies they wish to monitor in dialogue as they prepare the workplan, so that the agencies would have a say regarding the objectives of the oversight.”

Until now workplans have been prepared independently, with targets of oversight proceedings chosen according to their importance and public interest, the Israeli daily added. The paper also quoted a former senior official in the department as saying Engelman’s change “is simply something that’s forbidden. There’s a concern that under this plan, government agencies would navigate the oversight process to places that are more amenable to them”.

It is therefore suspected that Netanyahu could use this new approach as part of his bid to avoid prosecution in three corruption cases. He is slated to appear in court in October on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust which, if found guilty, could result in up to ten years in prison.

READ: Ex-Israel PM Ehud Olmert cancels Switzerland trip over war crimes arrest threat

Netanyahu has orchestrated a number of elaborate plans to evade corruption charges. Earlier this month it emerged that Israel’s Justice Minister, Amir Ohana, has been attempting to stack the Justice Ministry in the prime minister’s favour by firing its long-time Director General, Emi Palmor, and installing Netanyahu loyalist Ophir Cohen.

Ohana was appointed as justice minister last month after Netanyahu abruptly fired Ayelet Shaked from the post when her party failed to cross the electoral threshold in April. His appointment was seen as politically motivated, particularly given Ohana’s long-time support of Netanyahu and the fact that, unlike many other Likud party members, he supports legal changes that would grant acting prime ministers immunity from indictment.

Ohana’s firing of Palmor was interpreted as an attempt to shield Netanyahu from prosecution, particularly given the fact that the director general sits on the committee responsible for appointing a new state prosecutor. The current State Prosecutor, Shai Nitzan, is slated to step down in December, meaning that his successor will be responsible for managing the criminal probes into the prime minister.

Netanyahu is reportedly determined to prevent the current lead prosecutor in his corruption investigations, Liat Ben-Ari, from being given Nitzan’s job. Now that Justice Minister Ohana has replaced Palmor with “confidante” Cohen, it is thought the pair – and therefore the prime minister – will have more sway over the appointment.

This, combined with Engelman’s plan, could provide an avenue for Netanyahu to avoid prosecution as the deadline for his court appearance nears.

READ: Israel Police recommend charging Netanyahu associate with bribery in ‘Submarine Affair’