The Police Internal Investigations Department on Sunday evening detained the head of the Lahav 433 unit, Manny Binyamin, after he refused to sign restrictive conditions during his interrogation.
Binyamin had resumed his role on Sunday morning after being temporarily suspended due to the investigation against him.
Ynet reported that the interrogation, which lasted hours longer than expected, sparked turmoil. Associates of Binyamin claim that “he consulted his lawyer by phone, and an investigator from the Internal Investigations Unit forcibly confiscated his mobile device.” Ultimately, he signed the restrictive condition under protest.
Binyamin is being questioned on suspicion of acting in a conflict of interest in connection with an investigation conducted within his unit involving a close associate. Additionally, there is suspicion that he promoted his relative, Deputy Commander Tomer Strauss, in another case.
A statement on behalf of Binyamin’s attorney, Ori Korb, said, "This evening, the Police Internal Investigations Department chose to break the law by carrying out an unlawful detention and, later, an unlawful arrest of Commander Manny Binyamin, head of Lahav 433. Additionally, at the conclusion of his interrogation, which lasted seven hours, an investigator from the department physically assaulted the head of Lahav 433 while he was in consultation with Attorney Korb."
"In that consultation, Commander Binyamin discussed with Attorney Korb whether to agree to sign release conditions that were suddenly demanded after he had been free without any conditions for ten days. After lengthy deliberation, and despite the illegitimacy of the demand, the head of Lahav agreed to sign the release conditions except for one - a prohibition on meeting with a subordinate officer who works in the same building. Instead of releasing him and summoning him to a hearing before a judge tomorrow morning, the department chose to arrest Commander Binyamin, an act amounting to abuse of authority and breach of trust. As a result, Commander Binyamin signed the conditions under protest and was released under terms imposed upon him," the attorney’s statement read.
Korb further noted, "Commander Binyamin, who had been summoned for a ‘short interrogation of about an hour,’ was questioned for eight hours and then detained for additional hours, without being offered any food, and without any development in the case throughout the day. Nevertheless, Commander Binyamin cooperated fully with the investigation."
The statement also noted that after about five hours of interrogation, Attorney Korb urgently requested to speak with Commander Binyamin, but was denied such a conversation.
"It seems that in this case, the department’s conduct crossed all boundaries, and immediate intervention by external bodies is required to impose limits and restrictions on the department in order to safeguard the rule of law. The law applies to everyone," Korb concluded.