Mid-level Police Commander Dudi Cohen is the leading candidate to replace former Police Commissioner Moshe Karadi, who resigned earlier this year over alleged involvement in an organized crime affair, police said Tuesday.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has announced his support of Cohen's nomination, which was made by Public Security Minister Avi Dichter.

The Turkel Commission will review the nomination. If approved, Cohen will be appointed in a May 1 ceremony.

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Major General Micky Levy, who was set to be appointed as deputy police commissioner, has said he would turn down the position due to Cohen's nomination. In recent weeks, Levy had said that he had agreed to take on the job only if the position of commissioner were to be filled by someone outside the police force.

Dichter has decided to appoint Major General Shahar Ayalon to the position of deputy commissioner in response to Levy's refusal to accept the job. Ayalon had been the head of the police's traffic division, and several weeks ago had been assigned to command the Northern District. When the commissioner and deputy commissioner positions are filled, two significant positions, Central District and Northern District commanders, will require new appointments.

Cohen is currently the commander of the police central district. Before taking over the central district, Cohen was head of the police intelligence branch. When Karadi was appointed police commissioner, Cohen was assigned to command the Southern District, but was quickly transferred to the intelligence branch due to his experience in investigations. Cohen also led a wide reorganization, initiated by Karadi, in which the intelligence and investigations divisions were unified. This move was considered very successful.

Some eight months ago, Karadi allowed Cohen to serve as a district commander in order to gain the necessary experience required for anyone vying for the commissioner position, which Cohen may consider in the future. During his term as Southern District commander, Cohen initiated a program to battle break-ins which included the creation of special police units. The program had operated in Ramle at first, and was then incorporated in the entire district. As a result, the police apprehended three to ten percent more offenders.

Karadi resigned in February after a government commission said he ignored ties between senior officers and underworld figures.

Then, in a further blow to the prestige of the department, Yaakov Ganot, picked to succeed Karadi, withdrew his nomination just before the Turkel Commission was to disqualify him because of harsh judicial criticism in an old corruption case.