The Zeiler Commission, which has been probing the conduct of the police and the State Prosecutor's Office in the Perinian brothers affair, is expected to harshly criticize senior police officers, including Commissioner Moshe Karadi, in its final recommendations which will be published Sunday.
Tensions are high among the top police brass, as the committee's recommendations could determine the identity of the next police commissioner.
The final conclusions regarding 13 police officers who received warning letters are expected to be as harsh as the interim conclusions, and maybe even more severe, and may include personal conclusions.
The committee is expected to sharply criticize Karadi's conduct during his tenure as Southern District commander, but will not provide any personal recommendations, as the committee did not look into his conduct as police commissioner.
Following the findings, Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter is expected to announce his decision on the next police chief in the coming weeks. Karadi is expected to leave his post in August.
The testimonies of senior police officers before the governmental commission of inquiry, headed by retired Judge Vardi Zeiler, exposed a faulty relationship between the "stars" of the affair.
Police officials are certain that the committee will point to failures in the conduct of senior officers, including Commissioner Karadi and Jerusalem District Commander Ilan Franco.
The big question is what the committee will have to say about two of the stars of the affair: Commander Amir Gur, former head of the Southern District's central unit, and the person who replaced him, Commander Yoram Levi, who is suspected of illegal ties with the brothers Oded and Sharon Perinian.
Ties between Perinians, Israel Police
Last year it was cleared for publication that about six years ago police officer Tzachi Ben-Or became an assassin for the Perinian crime family and killed rival crime lord Pinhas Buhbut during his hospitalization in 1999 at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer.
Ben-Or, who was never indicted, admitted to committing the murder and even agreed to serve as state's witness, an offer that was turned down by the prosecution.
The Southern District Police’s central unit, headed by Commander Amir Gur, was placed in charge of the investigation, as Buhbut decided to sever ties with the Perinians, who were residents of Moshav Hodaya in the south, just a few months prior to his death.
In July 2000 investigators finally got a break when Ben-Or was arrested on suspicion of breaking into two villas in Be'er Sheva.
After linking Ben-Or to the Buhbut murder, Gur and his deputy decided to meet with the police officer, who warned them of ties between the Perinian family and Israel Police.
Despite grievances by the southern District Prosecutor’s Office, then-State Prosecutor Edna Arbel agreed to a deal in which Ben-Or would become a state witness and serve 7-8 years in prison; however, Gur asked that Ben-Or serve only 2-3 years for the Beer Sheva burglaries, and the deal was off.
Gur was eventually replaced by Benny Sagy, but the investigation failed to progress. In 2001 Ben-Or was released to house arrest and became involved with the Batito gang in Ashkelon, whose members asked that he help them find out whether the Perinian family was planning a hit on them.
Ben-Or invited Amir Shamnian, who was linked to the Perinians, to meet with the Batito gang. Shamnian never made it out of the meeting alive, and his body was buried near the Silver Junction in the south.
The Perinians suspected that Ben-or set Shamnian up, and allegedly shot him at their Moshav Hodaya home. Ben-Or managed to escape, and his brother, Ariel, picked him up and rushed him to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon.
Ben-Or recuperated and was placed under house arrest. He later fled the country, only to be murdered in Mexico in 2004.
The Zeiler Commission also examined the appointment of Yoram Levy as head of the Southern District's central unit; Levy was suspected of ties to the Perinian family.
Then-Southern District Commander Moshe Karadi, now chief of police, was responsible for Levy's appointment. Despite the fact that Levy was never linked directly to the crime family, the committee heard from a number of people that Levy was never thoroughly investigated on the matter.