Levin yet to find official to oversee Sde Teiman leak investigation

Justice Minister Yariv Levin has yet to find a public official to take on the role of overseeing the criminal investigation into the Sde Teiman video leak, nearly three days after the High Court of Justice ruled he was entitled to make such an appointment.

Levin has offered the role to two district court judges as well as senior figures in the civil service, according to Hebrew media reports, but all have refused. Levin’s office declined to comment.

The High Court on Sunday ruled that Levin’s decision to appoint State Ombudsman for Judges Asher Kula to oversee the investigation was invalid due to the law banning the ombudsman from serving in any other position or carrying out any other function while in office.

But the court said Levin did have the authority to appoint a senior public servant to oversee the investigation, outside of the Attorney General’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office. Senior officials in those agencies had been involved in a preliminary probe into the leak, which recommended against opening a criminal investigation. The current probe became subject to a dispute between Levin and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, which reached the High Court.

The High Court’s ruling imposed strict parameters for choosing a new official to oversee the investigation due to concerns about political interference in criminal proceedings, which have limited Levin’s options in appointing someone to the role.