Netanyahu’s ex-caretaker to get police immunity

19 February 2015, 5:03 pm

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Menny Naftali, the former caretaker of the Prime Minister’s Residence, will be given immunity from prosecution over testimony that he will provide to the police’s Fraud Investigation Unit 433 regarding evidence implying illegal conduct that he was witness to during his term of employment in the service of the Netanyahu family.

Naftali testified two weeks ago of his own volition and recounted some of the details that later appeared in a special State Comptroller report published on Tuesday. After telling investigators about the financial management for some 90 minutes, Naftali asked for immunity, saying that further testimony would reveal incidents that would implicate him.

433 investigators decided to stop Naftali at that point, since they needed approval from the attorney-general to grant immunity. The attorney-general’s office examined the two-week old testimony by Naftali and decided to grant him the immunity.

Naftali served as caretaker of the Prime Minister’s Residence for nearly two years. He resigned after he wasn’t given tenure that, he claimed, was promised him. He sued the Prime Minister’s Office, the deputy director-general of operations at the office, Ezra Saidoff, the prime minister’s wife, Sara Netanyahu, and Netanyahu personally.

Naftali seeks NIS 1.1 million ($286,000) in damages. He also sued Netanyahu for libel following an interview where Netanyahu said Naftali had been fired, even though he claims to have resigned.

Naftali recently asked the Jerusalem Labor Court to summon Sara Netanyahu to testify. She will address the court after the March 17 elections.

The news of Naftali’s immunity comes after earlier on Thursday he announced another libel suit against Netanayahu, this time for a barrage of accusations against him following the publication of the state comptroller’s report.

The Likud headquarters tried earlier this week to deflect blame for apparent financial impropriety at the prime minister’s residence by blaming Naftali for inflated expenses during the time he served as caretaker.