Likud MK proposes banning media reports on investigations of public figures

A Likud lawmaker has reportedly proposed further limiting the ability of the media and the public to scrutinize the behavior of public figures.

Miki Zohar wants to prohibit the media from reporting on the opening of police investigations into public figures, unless they have special permission, Hadashot TV news reported Sunday.

Furthermore, he has suggested limiting the authority of police to open a probe into a public figure unless they already have a solid evidentiary basis for doing so, the report said.

Zohar claimed that the proposed legislation was aimed at protecting MKs who were critical of the police from the police taking revenge.

Michal Rozin of the left-wing Meretz party said the proposal was an attempt to shield Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other right-wing politicians from corruption investigations.

“Instead of elected figures demanding of themselves higher standards of transparency and responsibility to the public, Netanyahu’s circle is doing the exact opposite, with one bill after another that tries to cover up corrupt politicians,” she said. “If we continue like this, then by the end of 2019, they’ll propose a bill that allows the politicians to manipulate public funds.”

Last year, Likud lawmakers tried to pass other laws to protect high-profile figures from public scrutiny.

The so-called police Recommendations Law, which entered the statute books in late December, prevents police, upon wrapping up their investigations and handing over the files to prosecutors, from commenting on whether there is an evidentiary basis for indictment.

Journalists will only be permitted to publish details about such police recommendations if they get the attorney general’s permission.

That law applies to probes of public officials and other high-profile cases, but not retroactively, meaning that it does not cover the Netanyahu investigations.

The day after it was passed, the Yesh Atid party and the Movement for Quality Government announced they would petition the High Court to have the legislation quashed.

Another proposal, which has become known as the French law, would give  serving prime ministers immunity from corruption investigations.

And a third, put forward by coalition head David Amsalem last year, seeks to criminalize leaking of sensitive investigative material.

The head of the Knesset Internal Affairs Committee, Likud MK Yoav Kisch,  has meanwhile insisted that police chief  Roni Alsheich not be granted a fourth year.

“His term should end in November this year and not be extended,” Kisch said Sunday.

On Wednesday, Alsheich, whom Netanyahu has accused of waging a witch hunt against him, said the basic three-year tenure was not enough time to introduce real changes to the force.

“If they ask me to remain for another year, I will consider it,” Alsheich said at a conference at Tel Aviv University. “I assume the answer would be yes, because I love the organization with my soul.”