Barak: Launch investigation into 'Galant Document'
Following police recommendation that Harpaz be charged with aggravated forgery in affair, defense minister to ask Lindenstrauss for probe.
By YAAKOV KATZRusso, Galant, Ashkenaza and Barak toast wine 311(photo credit: IDF Spokesman)
Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced Saturday night that he intended to ask State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss to launch an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the "Galant Document," allegedly forged by Lt.-Col. (res.) Boaz Harpaz.Police last week recommended that Harpaz be charged with aggravated forgery for his involvement in the affair.RELATED:A-G Weinstein freezes Barak's Galant affair probeForged ‘Galant document’ case goes to prosecutorsThe defense minister also planned to ask Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein to renew the Brick Committee, established by Barak, to conduct an "ethical and moral" investigation into the matter.Barak established the committee because he was not satisfied with the conclusions of the police investigation, which found that Harpaz had forged the document by himself and had no accomplices. The defense minister also wants to investigate how and why the document was leaked to the media and whether Chief of General Staff Lt.- Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi was involved in the affair. The committee was frozen by Weinstein in September for fear that it would interfere with the ongoing police investigation into the affair.Police formally handed over the results of the investigation into the alleged forgery of the so-called “Galant document” to Attorney-General Weinstein and state prosecutors on Thursday.The forged document purports to show that Arad Communications, a public relations firm, drew up plans for a public relations campaign for OC Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Yoav Galant that would create a positive image for him and negative images for incumbent Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and another potential Ashkenazi replacement, Deputy Chief of General Staff Maj.-Gen. Benny Gantz.The document was revealed on Channel 2 in August and presented as a leak from a credible source, promoting the investigation.Harpaz’s alleged motive was to torpedo an attempt by Barak to appoint Galant to become IDF chief of General Staff, and to make it possible for Ashkenazi to stay on as army chief. Yaakov Lappin and Dan Izenberg contributed to this report
Related TagsMicha Lindenstrauss
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