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Last update - 10:11 06/08/2008 Someone is above the law By Alexander Yakobson Tags: Talansky, corruption, Olmert  On July 31, the day after the prime minister announced he would step down after his party's primary, newspaper headlines cited law enforcement officials as saying the announcement was prompted by Ehud Olmert's fear of what his next interrogation would yield. "Well-informed sources" and "one of the investigators" offered the assessment that "Friday's investigation is expected to be difficult and unpleasant for Olmert" and "he already understands that this involves substantive evidence." Is it probable that this leak originated in the Prime Minister's Bureau? Is it probable that it is one of "Olmert's spins," as the police contend in response to complaints about the wild system of leaks accompanying the prime minister's investigation, which crosses every line even compared to what we have seen in the past. No, it is not probable that this leak came from Olmert's people. It is probable that this leak, as the newspaper's reporter attests, came from within the police. Thus there are police officials who have decided to kick the resigning prime minister on his way out the door, and while they're at it leak details about his upcoming interrogation and the state of the evidence in his case. In a similar fashion, there has been a systematic leaking of details - whether accurate or inaccurate it is impossible to tell - about anticipated interrogations and those already conducted. Anyone who behaves this way breaks all the rules of police work, tramples civil rights and undermines the public's trust in the integrity and professionalism of law enforcement representatives. And one more thing: It is a criminal offense. The "law enforcement officials" who behave this way have absolutely no right to be called lawmen. Advertisement Obviously not all of the investigators and officers are involved in these leaks. But one cannot help but get a bad impression from their reaction - essentially the non-reaction - of the law enforcement top brass in view of the phenomenon. They do not appear to be the least bit worried by it, and that ought to worry anyone who truly fears for the rule of law, i.e., for the principle that all governing authorities, without exception, must follow the law and not their arbitrary whims - even when they think they are serving a higher public cause. Power corrupts - that rule is one of the basics of liberal democracy. The corruption need not be financial. A combination of aggressive force and self-righteousness, with a willingness to break the rules amid a lack of proper supervision, can be no less dangerous than any financial corruption. Precisely because the police must be granted a great deal of power to enable them to fight crime and corruption, it is vital also to fight against that power being abused. Public trampling of suspects before they have been tried and even before they have been charged is a clear case of abuse of power, and it must be fought against irrespective of the issue of the treatment - political and personal - of the suspect in question. Olmert's resignation was expected and unavoidable. We have known for many years that no politician in Israel is above the law. There is no politician, no matter how senior, including the prime minister, against whom the police would hesitate to launch a criminal investigation if he is suspected of corruption, and there is no officeholder who can remain in his job the moment the general prosecution decides to indict him. Now it is hard to believe that once upon a time, the interior minister in charge of the police - Yosef Burg - could fire the police commissioner because of an investigation into criminal suspicions against the minister (the "peach file"). Today such a situation is unimaginable, which is good. Today the ability of the law enforcement system in Israel to investigate and bring to trial senior government officials is one of the highest in the democratic world. The law's supremacy over politicians is assured - but who will ensure the law's supremacy over the law enforcers? It is therefore desirable that the public know that not only is no politician above the law - no law enforcer is above it. Unfortunately that is not the situation, and we are very far from it. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Party for a killer Arabic TV station hosts birthday party for convicted child killer Samir Kuntar. Hamas to blame Noam Shalit says his son Gilad is holding Gaza hostage, and not the other way around.   1.   Police making-up-for-lost-time... 11:31  |  Esther 06/08/08   2.   unbeleivable the man has run on for 2 years 11:50  |  victor hardman 06/08/08   3.   WHO SHOULD BE THE NEXT PM? 12:04  |  indrajaya 06/08/08   4.   voice of reason 12:54  |  observer 06/08/08   5.   If they need any help, call me 13:42  |  Harvey 06/08/08   6.   Olmert`s illegtimicacy 13:52  |  michael cohen 06/08/08   7.   Maybe Olmert and Bush can go fishing together? 14:59  |  Petra 06/08/08   8.   # 3 why don`t you run? For your life fool. 15:01  |  Petra 06/08/08   9.   Re Victor #2 15:43  |  Esther 06/08/08   10.   Kadima primaries need to 16:02  |  Chris Linthwaite 06/08/08

Read & React Israel to free more than 150 Palestinian prisoners as gesture to Abbas Responses: 66 Rights groups slam 'disgraceful' minor charge over shooting of bound Palestinian Responses: 51 Israel to Hezbollah: We won't tolerate arms smuggling Responses: 37 Al-Jazeera apologizes for 'unethical' coverage of Kuntar release Responses: 21 Meron Benvenisti: If Sharon could just see Gaza now Responses: 6 More Headlines 08:26 Israel warns Hezbollah: We won't tolerate arms smuggling 11:24 Al-Jazeera apologizes for 'unethical' coverage of Kuntar release 08:03 Israel to free more than 150 Palestinian prisoners as gesture to Abbas 10:00 ANALYSIS / If Israelis bought Hezbollah swap scheme, why not one with Hamas? 11:05 Rights groups slam 'disgraceful' minor charge over shooting of bound Palestinian 11:23 Israeli Olympic swimmer to race in Beijing, despite father's tragic death 10:34 Hamas transforms former Gaza settlement into movie lot 08:49 Poll: Secular candidate would crush Haredi MK in Jerusalem mayoral elections 10:02 Special feature / The land of unchecked settler harassment 10:35 For Diaspora Jews, volunteering in Israel brings out Jewish identity 05:33 Babysitter prevents kidnap of Jerusalem children by their father 05:55 Is it really financially worthwhile to go green? 08:50 Tax Authority stumbles onto diamond-smuggling ring after questioning tax evader 06:10 Study: 62 percent of high school teachers have been abused by pupils Previous Editions Select Day 06 aug 05 aug 04 aug 03 aug 01 aug 31 jul 30 jul 29 jul 28 jul 27 jul 25 jul 24 jul

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