Arad. 'Still serves on missions'
Photo: Assaf Shilo
MK Hasson: Arrangement raises quandaries
Photo: Noam Moskowitz
Comptroller asked to probe Arad 'leaks'
State Control Committee chair says Uzi Arad should have been indicted for leaking secret info
State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss was asked Wednesday to launch an investigation into why former National Security Advisor Uzi Arad, who was accused by a Channel 10 report of leaking secret information to the media, was not indicted.
The chairman of the Knesset State Control Committee, MK Yoel Hasson, sent a letter of complaint to the comptroller demanding that he probe why Arad was not handled in a more severe manner after the leaks came to light.
Original Report
Aviad Glickman
National Security Council head leaked information to media, then quit to avoid indictment, Channel 10 reports
According to the report, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior Shin Bet officials informed Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein that Arad was responsible for the breach.
Weinstein asserted that Arad's disclosure of the confidential details was a slip of the tongue, and decided not to prosecute him. In February Arad announced his resignation and intention to return to the academic sector, but an investigation by the Shin Bet revealed that his alleged leaks were responsible for damaging Israel's ties with an important ally.
But Hasson believes that "this arrangement raises a number of quandaries".
In his letter, Hasson wrote that Arad's offense is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. "Due to the severe consequences, it would have been reasonable to assume that when the man responsible for the leaks was found he would be handled rigorously and tried for his offense," he wrote.
"Had the man responsible for the leaks not been the prime minister's right hand man, would he have received such preferential treatment?" Hasson wondered.
He also stressed that though Arad had resigned, he "continues to serve in important security-related missions, and continues to hold a diplomatic passport". The Prime Minister's Office refused comment Tuesday on Arad's diplomatic status.
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