Government extends tenure of interim police chief through elections

13 January 2019, 2:32 pm

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The cabinet has approved the request of Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan to extend the term of interim Police Commissioner Motti Cohen by four months, until after the national elections in April.

Cohen will now serve in the post until May 17.

Erdan appointed Cohen interim police chief in early December after his candidate for the post, Moshe Edri, withdrew his candidacy amid a public scandal over his conduct.

Cohen was only given the post for a 45-day period as the government sought to bring forward a new candidate. But the Knesset’s dissolution on December 24 stymied those plans, as nominations for senior posts are legally questionable during an election period.