Ben Gvir files appeal against promotion of officer involved in PM corruption probe

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir appeals the promotion of Supt. Rinat Saban, a police investigator whose advancement he has blocked since she testified last year in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial.

He files the High Court appeal in what seems to be a last-ditch effort as police chief Danny Levy — who has been pushing for Saban’s advancement — is reportedly set to promote her to the rank of chief superintendent today.

In his court filing, Ben Gvir writes that Saban is “an unworthy officer,” claiming she violated the rights of individuals under investigation.

“A minister is not a rubber stamp and he will not lie to himself and appoint someone who violated the law a countless number of times,” he writes.

Last week, the Jerusalem District Court allotted Ben Gvir a five-day deadline to sign off on Saban’s promotion, saying that otherwise she would be advanced without his approval.

The court had been following up on its ruling a month prior that determined the far-right minister’s refusal to approve Saban’s promotion was unlawful and likely motivated by “extraneous considerations.”

Saban, who serves in the police investigations and intelligence division, helped probe Netanyahu and later testified in his corruption case. Ben Gvir began blocking her promotion last spring shortly after her testimony, and last month admitted that he sought to stifle her career due to her involvement in what he deemed the “illegal” investigation of the premier.