Levin asks court to rethink its ban on appointing ombudsman for judges to supervise Sde Teiman leak investigation

Justice Minister Yariv Levin tells the High Court of Justice he has come to a “dead end” in his search for a supervisor for the Sde Teiman video leak investigation, and asks the court to re-examine his request to appoint State Ombudsman for Judges Asher Kula to the position.

Levin tells the court that since it ruled his second pick for the position, retired judge Yosef Ben-Hamo, did not meet the criteria the court had set out for the position, he had not been able to find anyone who did meet the criteria despite reaching out to numerous officials and state agencies

The court said in its ruling in November that the person filling the role must be a senior civil servant with experience in criminal investigations and prosecutions.

“After the passage of nearly a month since the court’s ruling, and nearly two months since the investigation started, it turns out that giving the task to an official who meets all the criteria set out by the court cannot be implemented,” says Levin.

The minister says he is therefore asking the court to allow Kula to take a time-limited break from his role as ombudsman for judges in order to supervise the Sde Teiman affair investigation.

In November, the court agreed with Levin that under the highly irregular circumstances of the case of the leak of the Sde Teiman video, which apparently shows the abuse of a Palestinian prisoner, the justice minister was entitled to appoint an investigation supervisor from outside of the Attorney General’s Office and State Attorney’s Office

The court ruled, however, that he could not appoint Kula since the law for state ombudsman for judges expressly prohibits the officeholder from carrying out any other function.

The Movement for Quality Government, which had petitioned the High Court against Kula’s appointment, objects to Levin’s request, saying he had not presented proof that he had reached out to numerous officials to fill the post.

“Levin isn’t looking for a real supervisor for the investigation – he is looking for a reason to continue to argue with the court, to stick a finger in the High Court’s eye, and to fan the flames against the law enforcement agencies,” the organization charges.