Last update - 00:00 25/09/2006
Zeiler Committee will not investigate politically motivated police appointments
By Yuval Yoaz, Haaretz Correspondent
The Zeiler Committee will not hear testimony on rumors of politically-motivated appointments in the police force "for now," the committee ruled on Monday following deliberations.
The committee is investigating the bungled handling by the police and prosecution of a murder-for-hire case involving suspected crime bosses the Parinyan brothers and police officer Tzachi Ben-Or.
Police Commissioner Moshe Karadi has denied reports that he was appointed
police chief as part of a deal with reputed crime kingpins the Parinyan
brothers, who allegedly served as vote contractors for the Likud. Omri Sharon, son of former prime minister Ariel Sharon, is suspected of having played a role in the appointment.
Karadi's attorney Eli Zohar on Monday interrogated police officer Avi Tiler. Tiler, former head of the police's human resources department. Tiler was involved in proceedings for approving Yoram Levy as deputy commander in the Southern District police.
Zohar asked Tiler during cross-examination whether Karadi's appointments derived from political considerations.
The committee's chairman, Vardi Zeiler, interrupted the proceedings, saying the question was irrelevant, since news of the appointments did not appear in the warning letter sent to 13 committee members last May.
"We have not found a basis to justify the inclusion of these matters in the decision to issue the warning," Zeiler said. "At this stage, the matter is not being cited or included and questions will not be asked on it."
Sources close to the committee said Zeiler's comments did not include a declaration that the appointments were not tainted by political considerations, but rather that every committee member who received a warning would be allowed to ask questions in cross-examination on clauses in the warning which relate to him or her only.