Senior police official at center of investigation to take weeklong leave

The head of the Israel Police’s top investigative unit, who is currently the subject of a criminal probe, will take a weeklong break from his post, police announce.

Israel Police chief Commissioner Danny Levy signs off on the decision, allowing Deputy Commissioner Manny Binyamin to temporarily leave the helm of the Lahav 433 major crimes unit.

Investigators in the Department for Internal Police Investigations launched a probe into Binyamin last week on suspicion he interfered in an investigation in which he had a conflict of interest. He is suspected of breach of trust and abuse of authority, and was questioned for the second time yesterday.

He was released after his initial interrogation, subject to restrictions including a nine-day ban on entering police facilities and contacting those involved in the case.