Ombudsman rejects request to probe appointment of AG Mandelblit

State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman on Sunday rejected a request from a Likud lawmaker to launch a probe into the appointment of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit.

Mandelblit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s former cabinet secretary, was tapped by the Likud leader for the job in 2016. During his tenure, he has charged the incumbent premier with the bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges for which he is currently on trial. Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing and he, and his supporters, allege a conspiracy by law enforcement and the media of seeking to force him from power.

As Mandelblit moved to indict Netanyahu, his followers and supporters have attempted to discredit him by raising his role in the so-called Harpaz Affair a decade ago, for which he was cleared of any suspicion by Israel’s top court.