Edri appears to have passed polygraph, clearing path to police chief

By TAMARA ZIEVE

NOVEMBER 28, 2018 20:36

Updated: NOVEMBER 28, 2018 21:44

Moshe (Chico) Edri (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons) — Moshe (Chico) Edri

(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Incumbent Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich last day in the post is on Sunday.

The candidate to be the next police chief, Moshe “Chico” Edri, appears to have successfully passed a polygraph test he took on Wednesday, sources told Channel 2.

On Thursday, the results of the lie-detector test will be given to the advisory committee for the appointment of senior civil service officials to review. If he passed the test, the committee, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Eliezer Goldberg, is expected to approve Edri’s appointment. Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan recommended Edri’s appointment at the beginning of this month, after having reviewed his candidacy along with that of two others.

Incumbent Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich’s last day in the post is on Sunday.

The last-minute decision last week to obligate Edri to take the test sparked controversy, but the committee listed several reasons for the decision: the sensitive nature of the position; a number of complaints it had received about the candidate; and the fact that the other two candidates, Jerusalem District Commander Maj.-Gen. Yoram Halevy and Maj.-Gen. David Bitan, had taken polygraph tests.

“This announcement drew many reactions from the public, the vast majority of which praised the candidate, but there were also those who complained about inappropriate behavior on his part,” the committee said.

“The committee deemed it appropriate to hear two of the complainants, and also received general information from the Israel Police on the subject of discipline in the organization,” the committee said. It also stated that the test was necessary to ensure that equal conditions had been set for all candidates and to prevent future gossip about the candidate after his expected appointment.

Public broadcaster KAN reported that retired police officers had appealed to the committee demanding that Edri take a polygraph test.

Earlier this month, Mandelblit denied reports that Alsheich inappropriately sabotaged the candidacies of Halevy and Bitan in favor of Edri by suddenly producing condemnatory information for Mandelblit near the end of the contest.