Police walk back claim judicial officials failed to notify them of probe into politicians

Police walk back their earlier claim that top judicial officials failed to notify them directly regarding a probe into several right-wing politicians for breaking into the IDF’s Sde Teiman base last July.

“We clarify that the Attorney General’s approval to open an investigation was sent to the head of the investigations and intelligence unit yesterday evening,” a spokesman says, adding that he “had not yet managed to update the police chief regarding the matter,” leading to the confusion.

The spokesman adds that police maintain “excellent working relations” with the attorney general and State Attorney’s Office.

Yesterday, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Prosecutor Amit Aisman announced they had approved an investigation into two government members and one former lawmaker regarding their role in a riot and subsequent break-in at the base. Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu (Otzma Yehudit), MK Nissim Vaturi (Likud), and former MK Zvi Sukkot (Religious Zionism) were set to be questioned under caution as part of the probe.

But law enforcement purported earlier today that the officials had not reached out directly to the police before going to the media — a claim that turns out to have been false.