Ombudsman agrees to oversee Sde Teiman leak probe, stresses neutrality on Levin-AG dispute

The State Ombudsman for Judges Asher Kula says in a press statement that his agreement to oversee the Sde Teiman leak affair does not reflect any position he might have regarding the controversy around Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s decision to byp ass the attorney general in creating the role.

“The ombudsman does not express any position regarding the obstacles [to the involvement of] the attorney general [in the Sde Teiman leak investigation], nor regarding the authority of the minister,” a statement put out by the Justice Ministry’s spokesperson reads.

“The ombudsman agrees to accept the task should it be decided to give it to him, in accordance with the law.”

Levin has claimed that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara is legally barred from involvement in the case due to her role in submitting responses to the High Court of Justice on behalf of the former military advocate general, who is suspected of several offenses in the Sde Teiman leak.

Baharav-Miara has insisted that Levin’s claims are baseless, that he has no authority to bypass her and appoint a person to head the investigation instead of her and her office, and that she and senior officials in the Attorney General’s Office will continue to direct and oversee the investigative process.