Government nominee for police chief expected to drop candidacy — report

Maj. Gen. Moshe “Chico” Edri, the government nominee to be the next Israel Police commissioner, is expected to announce this evening he is removing himself from contention for the post, Channel 10 news reports.

The report comes after the Walla news site said Edri is suspected of having concealed from the committee that vetted his nomination an a priori meeting he held with the woman who gave him a polygraph test.

The nomination panel said last week it could not recommend Edri as the next police chief due to a meeting he held with the lawyer of a whistle blower who says he was harassed by Edri.

A number of coalition lawmakers sharply criticized the committee over its decision and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, who nominated Edri, had vowed to push through with the appointment if the panel would not reverse its position.