State comptroller vows his investigation into police spying scandal will be ‘in-depth’

State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman vows to carry out an “in-depth” investigation of bombshell claims that Israel Police improperly spied on Israeli citizens.

“Maintaining privacy is a cornerstone of a democratic state,” says Englman in comments at a conference in Jerusalem. “We will carry out an in-depth examination of all the conduct of law enforcement agencies through technological means.”

Englman announced last month that he would conduct an investigation into claims that police used the NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware to hack into the phones of private citizens who were not suspected of crimes without any warrant or judicial oversight.

The comptroller says the investigation is ongoing into the police and the state attorney’s office. Englman says he respects the current probe being run by the Justice Ministry, but says “there is an importance for an audit of the State Comptroller, which is an independent body.”

Englman says his investigation will involve a series of internal and external experts as well as individuals who previously served in intelligence positions.