Senior prison officer questioned by police; Ben Gvir says move part of ‘coup attempt’

The Police Internal Investigations Department say they have detained for  questioning a senior officer in the Prison Service on suspicion of obstructing an investigation and breach of trust.

In addition, a police officer has also been detained in the case.

The details are not immediately released for publication, but far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir claims the arrests are part of his ongoing dispute with Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara over her push to have him ousted for his repeated interventions into operational police matters and his politicization of police promotions.

“The attorney general and the State Prosecutor’s Office are using the Department of Internal Police Investigations to deter a very senior officer in the Prison Service and police officers from carrying out my policy and that of the right-wing government,” Ben Gvir says.

Ben Gvir add that “a clear red line has been crossed” and calls the move “an attempted coup.”