As a result of a petition filed by the Movement for Quality in Government (MQG), the Supreme Court ordered the State to explain why Minister Tzachi HaNegbi need not resign outright from the Public Security Ministry. Attorney-General Meni Mazuz recently ordered a criminal investigation opened against HaNegbi for his alleged plethora of political appointments - at which point HaNegbi suspended himself from heading the ministry that oversees the police and its investigations. Minister Gideon Ezra then took over as Acting Minister of Public Security. The MQG and other groups feel, however, that HaNegbi must resign outright, as police investigators in charge of the case will not be able to do their job efficiently if they know that the subject of their investigation is likely to return and be their boss.
The Supreme Court, as mentioned, accepted the reasoning, and ordered the State to explain why HaNegbi should not resign at least until the investigation is completed. The Court also demands an explanation as to why the investigation is being carried out by the police department, and why it should not be transferred to a non-police body in order to prevent a conflict of interest.
It is of interest to note that in 1996, HaNegbi took over the Justice Ministry when then-Justice Minister Yaakov Ne'eman was indicted, in the common understanding that he would restore it to Ne'eman if the latter were found innocent. Several months later, when Ne'eman was in fact acquitted of all charges, HaNegbi refused to return the position to Ne'eman, threatening to resign from the government outright if then-Prime Minister Netanyahu forced him to cede to Ne'eman. HaNegbi remained Justice Minister until the end of the government's term.
The Supreme Court, as mentioned, accepted the reasoning, and ordered the State to explain why HaNegbi should not resign at least until the investigation is completed. The Court also demands an explanation as to why the investigation is being carried out by the police department, and why it should not be transferred to a non-police body in order to prevent a conflict of interest.
It is of interest to note that in 1996, HaNegbi took over the Justice Ministry when then-Justice Minister Yaakov Ne'eman was indicted, in the common understanding that he would restore it to Ne'eman if the latter were found innocent. Several months later, when Ne'eman was in fact acquitted of all charges, HaNegbi refused to return the position to Ne'eman, threatening to resign from the government outright if then-Prime Minister Netanyahu forced him to cede to Ne'eman. HaNegbi remained Justice Minister until the end of the government's term.