Justice Ministry says work on criminal cases against PM ‘continuing normally’

Following reports that Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit will refrain from publishing his conclusion on corruption cases against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu near the date of elections in April, the Justice Ministry says its work on the probes is “continuing normally.”

“This is an organized and professional work procedure that doesn’t depend on political events,” the ministry says in a statement.

It pointed to the ministry’s protocol for such cases, which says:

As a rule, there is no room to delay dealing with cases against public officials or candidates, who have previously been subject to investigation or police complaint, for the purpose of deciding on whether to lodge an indictment.

However, the treatment [of the cases] will take into consideration the necessary caution, and, as needed, the matter will be brought to the attorney general or state prosecutor [for a decision.]

The ministry concludes by saying that “any other report is mere speculation, since the end date for work on the cases is still unknown.”