Proposed bill could open criminal investigation into attorney general

Knesset members Zvi Sukkot and Simcha Rothman have proposed a legislative amendment that would permit a criminal investigation into the attorney general and the state attorney, Israeli media reported Tuesday.

Under the proposed law, the police could approach the Minister of Justice to appoint a prosecutor with the same powers as the attorney general and state attorney to lead investigations and prosecutions.

"The attorney general and the state attorney are at the top of Israel’s law enforcement and prosecution system," said Rothman and Sukkot. "While there are protocols for investigating senior officials like the prime minister, ministers, and judges, there is a gap when it comes to investigating the attorney general or state attorney."

Conflict of interest

The MKs argued that when there is suspicion of wrongdoing by the attorney general or state attorney, a conflict of interest arises, making it problematic for the prosecutor's office to handle the investigation. This includes everything from overseeing the investigation to deciding whether to file charges.

To address this issue, the proposed bill would allow the Justice Minister to appoint an external prosecutor, similar to how prosecutors outside the police handle investigations involving police officers. Under the bill, this appointed prosecutor would be granted powers equivalent to those of the attorney general and state attorney.