Border Guard officer to face disciplinary hearing for harming settler

The Police Internal Affairs Bureau announced Wednesday that it would pursue legal action against Brigadier-General Shlomi Even-Paz, who heads the Border Guard Command in Judea and Samaria, for conduct unbecoming an officer.

The IAB further stated it found no evidence for obstruction of justice and so will not recommend any criminal be brought against the officer. The Border Guard Command has turned the case over to the Police National Headquarters' disciplinary branch.

The event for which Even-Paz was cited for dates back to the summer of 2007, when right-wing activists and settlers from the Homesh First, arrived at the location of the former West Bank settlement of Homesh; accompanied by photographers from the Yesha Council's human rights watch.

According to the settlers, Even-Paz instructed his troops to exercise undo force and grab one of the cameras, later destroying its memory card.

The Yesha Council's human rights watch filed an official report of the incident, as well as a complaint against the officer, the next day, accusing him of assault, theft, obstruction of justice, evidence tampering and malice intent.

Border Guard Commander Israel Yitzhak ordered the case be investigated by IAB as part of the unit's "zero tolerance" policy against conduct unbecoming police officers. Yitzhak also chose to further give Even-Paz a verbal notation.

"After investigating the incident, we have decided that the allegation obstruction of justice was not supported by any evidence," said the Internal Affairs Bureau in its decision.

"As for the allegation of malice, we have decided to close that investigation due to lack of public interest," added the IAB. The Border Guard Command told Ynet that "once the IAB's recommendations have been reviews they will be turned over and handled by the National Headquarters' disciplinary branch."

Orit Strok, head of the Yesha Council's human rights watch told yet the council intends to appeal the decision: "I wonder how they cam make a decision based on the lack of evidence, when several witnesses have never been interviewed… just how does the head of IAB plan to fight obstruction of justice by police officers, when he deems such cases as 'lacking public interest'?"

MK Uri Ariel (National Union-National Religious Party) slammed the IAB decision, saying it was "an outright outrage. It is unconceivable that the IAB will be allowed to systematically cover up criminal offences perpetrated by police officers."

Ariel further said he intends to appeal the decision to the State Prosecutor's Office and demand Even-Paz face criminal charges.