Levin says blocking judicial ombudsman from leading Sde Teiman probe would allow ‘cover-up’

Preempting the High Court’s ruling on the Sde Teiman leak affair, Justice Minister Yariv Levin says in a statement that “any ruling that blocks the appointment of the State Ombudsman for Judges Asher Kula” as the lead investigator of the case “would mean that the court has allowed the investigation to be covered up.”

Court justices indicated last week that Kula’s appointment was unlikely to pass muster, noting two concerns: the impropriety of a political figure selecting the person to lead a criminal probe, and the fact that Israeli law expressly prohibits the ombudsman from taking on any other position or professional role.

Justice Yael Wilner asserted that the ombudsman has an apparent conflict of interest in overseeing a criminal investigation and prosecution, since he could potentially file an indictment which would be dealt with by judges over whom he has authority as ombudsman.