Anti-corruption chief is top cop accused of sexual harassment

A senior police officer recently accused of sexual harassment was named Sunday as the head of the Lahav 433 anti-corruption unit, the department that, among other things, has been tasked with investigating MK Yinon Magal for similar allegations.

Maj. Gen. Roni Rittman was accused of two instances of sexual harassment, including kissing a subordinate against her will five years ago. He was interrogated for over seven hours last Wednesday by the Justice Ministry’s Police Internal Investigations Department.

Rittman, 51, denied the allegations against him and said that a senior officer in the Israel Police’s intelligence was framing him. He was released to his home on Wednesday evening and put on mandatory leave for a week.

Two female police officers testified against Rittman.

Rittman has held the position of the head of the Lahav 433 unit since August 2014, making him one of the highest-ranking officers in the Israel Police. The unit has been involved in some of Israel’s most sensitive cases, including a corruption scandal populated by politicians in the Yisrael Beytenu party. The former head of the anti-corruption unit, Menashe Arviv, stepped down in 2014 over corruption allegations.

Last week, the unit was told to investigate the allegations against MK Magal after two employees who worked under him at the Walla news website — where he was editor-in-chief — accused him of sexual harassment and inappropriate advances.

The past few years have seen a string of sexual misconduct cases involving top police officers, many of whom were forced to retire due to the charges against them. In all, about half of the Israel Police’s major generals — the highest rank below that of the police commissioner — have been accused of such abuse, and many of them have stepped down.

In February, Maj. Gen. Hagai Dotan was discharged from the service after several women complained of suffering both verbal and physical harassment at his hands. That same month also saw the dismissal of Beersheba police commander Moshe Ivgi, who was accused of sexually harassing an officer.

In January, Maj. Gen. Nissim Mor, once a contender for commissioner, was dismissed after being accused of sexually harassing and assaulting a policewoman, as well as having inappropriate relationships with other female subordinates. Earlier in January, Judea and Samaria District commander Kobi Cohen announced his resignation after confessing to an improper relationship with a subordinate officer.