Top Officials Blast Israeli Justice Minister for Breaching Gag Order

Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit and State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan condemned Justice Minister Amir Ohana’s breach of a gag order regarding one of the Netanyahu corruption investigations Wednesday, calling his remarks “extremely grave and a distortion of reality.”

Ohana invoked his immunity as a Knesset member on Wednesday to reveal an interrogation method allegedly used to get Nir Hefetz, a former spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to turn state’s evidence in Case 4000, the Bezeq-Walla quid pro quo case. A gag order was imposed on the interrogation ploy earlier this week, just as Channel 12 News was about to reveal it. 

Ohana’s remarks were “part of a series of tendentious and partial reports meant to deceive the public,” Mendelblit and Nitzan said in a joint statement.  

On Wednesday night, Netanyahu himself said that “although the blackmailing of state’s witness Nir Hefetz is extremely serious and ought to disturb every citizen, the court’s gag order must be respected.” 

'They bring in a young woman'

Earlier in the day, Ohana attempted to expose police methods that, according to him, led Hefetz to “capitulate,” and sign the state’s evidence agreement.

Speaking during a Knesset session, the justice minister, who has recently come under fire for his gloves-off attempt to defend his leader, said the police had used threats and intimidation.