State comptroller: Police chief should not have been involved in brother's promotion
Lindenstrauss' report says despite declaring conflict of interest, Dudi Cohen was 'actively involved' in brother's appointment. Report also criticizes internal security ministers Dichter, Aharonovitch for approving appointments
State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss criticized Police Commissioner Dudi Cohen's involvement in the appointment of his brother Motti Cohen to two police positions carrying the rank of chief superintendent, despite telling then-Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter that he was in a conflict of interest.
According to the comptroller's report, which was published Tuesday, Dichter decided to appoint the deputy chief of police to handle Mordechai Cohen's appointment, despite the fact that the attorney-general declared that Israel Police's legal adviser should decide on how to deal with a situation involving a conflict of interest.
In the second volume of his annual report, Lindenstrauss also said that the police chief had not kept his promise to remove himself from the proceedings to promote his brother.
In 2008 Dudi Cohen personally recommended that his brother be promoted for one of two positions which had opened up in the force.
Deputy Inspector-General Shahar Ayalon eventually appointed Motti Cohen to two posts carrying the rank of chief superintendant. Dichter, as well as current Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch, approved the appointments.
"The police chief did not abide by the agreement and was actively involved in the proceedings of his brother's appointment," the report read.
Lindenstrauss also criticized Minister Dichter and Minister Aharonovitch for approving the appointments. In his response to the comptroller's claims, Dudi Cohen said the attorney general's recommendations regarding regulations aimed at preventing conflicts of interest do not apply to the police or security forces.
As for his brother's second promotion, the police chief said his involvement was limited to the "technical, procedural aspect" of the process.
Lindenstrauss, however, said that signing the recommendation to promote his brother constituted active involvement- even if only "procedural in nature" - on the part of police chief Cohen.
The police commissioner's involvement in the procedure was restricted to the technical- procedural aspect alone, and not to the heart of the matter," Lindenstrauss wrote.
"Furthermore," the comptroller added, "the police commissioner voluntarily approached the minister and asked to be excused from involvement in the decision regarding promotion or appointing his brother so as to avoid an erroneous public impression."
A spokesperson for Israel Police said Dudi Cohen, "did not act in violation of the regulation because at the time a regulation aimed at preventing a conflict of interest did not exist. Furthermore, the police chief voluntarily approached the minister and asked to remove himself from being involved in his brother's promotion."
