Interior Minister Gilad Arden contacted the USSR to obtain materials from the investigation to conduct an internal investigation in his office, but was denied a criminal investigation into the matter

• Minister of Internal Security Gilad Arden and Avichai Mandelblit (Photo: Yonatan Zindel (Flash 90) and Oren Ben Hakun)

Minister of Public Security Gilad Arden demands that Attorney General Avihai Mandelblit understand why he was instructed not to hand over materials related to the investigation and a contract signed by the police - without a tender - with the high-tech company, Benny Gantz.
The reason, according to the Office of the USSR: The possibility of criminal investigation into the case is currently being investigated.

However, since the details of the State Comptroller's report have been revealed for almost 10 months, during which no criminal investigation was opened on the one hand, and the materials are not forwarded to the Office of the Police Commissioner for internal examination.

Ignoring the court

"Today Israel" learned that last December, Minister of Public Security Gilad Arden twice contacted Avichai Mandelblit, the Supreme Court, demanding a criminal investigation decision or allowing him, as the Commissioner, to exercise his responsibility to investigate the police tenders and to address any failures discovered. , Arden sent another request to Mandelblit in early January and sought a decision.

"I appeal to you with your urgent decision regarding the investigation and investigation of the connection between the Israel Police and the Fifth Dimension Company. This connection impedes the activities of the Israeli police and impairs public confidence in it. Unfortunately, due to the opposition of the police and the Ministry of Justice, I and my office refuse to exercise our authority. Police actions and its conduct on the matter, and therefore your urgent decision is required, "the Minister of Public Security wrote.

"Mendelblit prevented himself"

In his letter, Arden details the main points of the critic's report, about the case in which Gantz's name was linked to the police without a tender, as investigated.

"In the report," Arden told Mandelblit, "serious findings were found regarding police engagement with Fifth Dimension. The State Comptroller commented on the participation of senior executives, in a discussion that involved examining the relationship with the company, and that no other technology companies had been contacted for a contract amounting to more than NIS 50 million, thus making the police unequal towards these companies. The report also states that no sufficient action was taken to protect the operation and police practices with the company. "

Arden notes in his letter the ways in which his office attempted to obtain the relevant materials, which were rejected by the police attorney's office on the grounds that a criminal investigation is underway. He said Mandelblit himself had authorized the police not to transfer the materials to his office.

"There has been no progress since then, not with regard to the criminal investigation of the said attachment and its circumstances, and certainly not from its examination by ministries, which, as stated, to this day receive the relevant materials," the minister protested.

"The High Court Rejects the Petition"

The Ministry of Justice said in response to the allegations: "As the state has told the High Court, the matter is in the process of dealing with the relevant factors and a decision on the matter will be made after examining the matter. Following this, the High Court rejected the petition filed on the matter.