Last update - 00:00 10/02/2008
Police chief: Officer tried to blackmail me with incriminating video
By Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondent
Police Commissioner Dudi Cohen on Sunday accused Chief Superintendent Ephraim Ehrlich of attempting to blackmail him with a video of him allegedly committing a traffic offense.
"Holding a [video] tape, and using it after two years with the purpose of blackmail in my view is very grave," the commissioner said.
The blackmail allegation comes amid claims by Ehrlich's associates that since the officer exposed the Parinyan affair, and in effect brought about the creation of the Zeiler committee, he has not been promoted.
The Zeiler Committee investigated alleged police and prosecutorial misconduct in the bungling of a 1999 murder probe involving reputed crime kingpins the Parinyan brothers.
Former police commissioner Moshe Karadi resigned in the wake of the panel's damning report.
The chief superintendent was recently informed that he was to be transferred to serve as Hebron police's deputy commander, a position which he would hold at his current rank.
As a result of this move which highlighted Ehrlich's being denied any prospect of advance, he fell ill and was hospitalized for a number of days. Following this, a video was released to the media documenting Cohen's car traveling at 180 kilometers per hour.
For his part, Cohen claims that two years ago he requested that the police commanders who had filmed his car discipline those officers.
In addition to this, Cohen emphasized that he has asked in the past, and once again more recently, for the head of the police's National Traffic Division to consider whether steps should be taken against him over the alleged violations.
The commissioner said that since the issue of the blackmail is being discussed in the High Court, he would not speak further about it. Cohen also refused to say whether Ehrlich would be able to continue serving as a police officer after committing what he called attempted blackmail.
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