Former AG Mandelblit Confirms Broad Investigative Mandate in Netanyahu Trial

Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit told the Jerusalem District Court on Monday that investigators held standing authority to proceed without seeking his consent for each individual action. He testified that the scope of his original approval defined the limits of the probe, meaning police did not need to return to him for permission on every investigative move. This testimony directly addresses the defense's argument that the investigation exceeded its authorized boundaries.

Mandelblit authorized the initial investigations and later signed off on the indictment. He is currently testifying for the defense in the trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu's lawyer, Amit Hadad, pressed Mandelblit on what police were allowed to examine and which specific steps required further consent. The defense is using his appearance to pin down the exact extent of the investigative powers granted to police.

On Sunday, Mandelblit testified that he ordered police to stop wiretapping Natan Eshel, a confidant of Netanyahu, once he learned of the operation. Although investigators had secured a court warrant, Mandelblit stated that Eshel's close involvement in the prime minister's personal and political affairs made the surveillance sensitive. He argued that the team should have sought his approval before proceeding.

Monday's hearing focused on the preliminary examination that evolved into Case 1000. This case involves alleged costly gifts from businessmen Arnon Milchan and James Packer, as well as actions Netanyahu allegedly took to benefit Milchan. Hadad questioned whether investigators went beyond their mandate when they interviewed Hadas Klein, Milchan's assistant, and Yonatan Hasson, Packer's driver, about the gifts.

Mandelblit maintained that questioning those individuals fell within his wider permission to examine suspicions regarding substantial benefits received from businessmen. He asserted that this permission remained in force throughout the investigation. When Judge Moshe Bar-Am asked how investigators could distinguish between steps covered by the authorization and those requiring additional consent, Mandelblit explained that the subject matter he approved set the boundaries. He noted that only significant developments called for further consultation.

The trial began in May 2020 and covers three cases involving alleged gifts and dealings with media owners. Netanyahu faces charges of fraud and breach of trust in all three cases. In Case 4000, he also faces a bribery charge concerning alleged regulatory benefits for Bezeq in exchange for intervention in the news coverage of Walla. Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing.