Special investigative privileges granted in Bibi tours probe
State Control Committee agrees to extend scope of State Comptroller's Office inquiry into funding allegations of PM Netanyahu's travels
The committee unanimously agreed to give Nahum Levi, State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss’s senior aide on corruption, special investigative privileges to inquire whether the financing of trips taken by Netanyahu prior to his return to the premiership, was somehow illicit.
The committee also discussed whether the scope on inquiry should be expanded to include other senior officials as well.
An previous hearing on the subject was held last week, in which the committee first agreed to give Levi special investigative privileges. However, after Knesset Member and Committee Chairman Yoel Hasson (Kadima) was harshly criticized for convening the meeting on short notice, causing the majority of the members to be absent, a second meeting was called to revisit the matter.
Hasson claimed the previously short notice was "innocent" and lacked "foreign intentions," stating the hearing was held at the request of Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin. "He was the one who told me to do things on a 50 minute schedule." Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein ruled the initial decision was legal, but committee members demanded another hearing.
'Purely technical decision'
According to Lindenstrauss, the process of giving his aide special investigative privileges is purely technical: "This clause isn't revolutionary as far as the state comptroller is concerned." He added the harsh atmosphere surrounding the previous decision was unnecessary and stressed the need to hold the hearing soon, before the Knesset adjourned for its spring recess.
Despite these explanations, MK Ofir Akunis (Likud) slammed Hasson, saying: "The committee members heard about their decision from the 8 pm news editions. You, as committee chairman, know the committees convenes even during the recess, contrary to hearings held at the Knesset Plenum."
MK Yariv Levin (Likud) added: "While the comptroller's request is bases on matters he handles, you knew there was a direct connection between the request and the published case at hand."
Judicial Ombudsman Eliezer Goldberg addressed the alleged affair and the authorities of the state comptroller, saying that while the government can ask the comptroller to give his opinion on something, it cannot control his daily agenda.
"It is inconceivable that the government would tell the comptroller what is his daily agenda. The one who has to decide on the matter is the comptroller himself. It should not be discussed in a committee; the decision is in his hands," he said
Some ministers have recently stated that if an inquiry will begin into supposed allegations of illicit financing of trips taken by Netanyahu, then the state comptroller should also examine trips taken by other senior officials in the past decade.
Aviad Glickman contributed to the report
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