A senior Israel Police officer was detained for questioning on suspicion of breach of trust and abuse of power, according to a Wednesday press release.
He was questioned for over seven hours and released under conditions of not entering police facilities for at least nine days, and not contacting anyone involved in the incident.
The Police Internal Investigations Department (PID) and the State Attorney’s Office questioned the officer on suspicion that he had intervened in a matter in which he had a conflict of interest without correctly reporting it.
In a Wednesday statement, the PID stated that the officer also tried to influence how the incident was handled within his unit. N12 News reported that the officer's questioning has allegedly caused uproar within the police force.
“We’re talking about one of the sharpest and most respected commissioners in the police command structure. He holds a very senior position in the investigations division, so he understands the sensitivity of ongoing investigations, and frankly, the suspicions just don’t add up for us. If the details are true, this is more than an earthquake. We still believe in his integrity until proven otherwise. We know the man - he is an asset to the police," an unnamed police officer told Maariv.
The officer's name has not been cleared for publication, and a gag order was placed on the case.
Second scandal in months rocks police force
Two months ago, five suspects, including two police officers and three retired senior officers, were arrested on suspicion of giving information to Israeli mafia members, N12 reported.
One of the arrested suspects reportedly took part in investigations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.