Police find no criminal wrongdoing in Harpaz affair

Lahav 433, Shin Bet say a number of problematic aspects emerged during probe “that required clarification by the relevant authorities.”

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Harpaz 311 (photo credit: Channel 10)
Harpaz 311
(photo credit: Channel 10)
Police have found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing in an affair that rocked the military’s senior command last year, involving a former intelligence army officer and a forged document, it was announced on Wednesday.
In 2010, Lt.-Col. (res.) Boaz Harpaz, a former intelligence officer, forged a document that detailed fictitious plans to damage the reputations of senior IDF officers.
The forged document was intended to falsely give the impression that a PR firm had been hired by Gen. (ret.) Yoav Galant, who had been a senior candidate to become IDF chief of General Staff, to damage the reputations of other competitors for the post of chief of General Staff.
In February, police were asked by Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein to launch an in-depth investigation to determine whether criminal offenses had been committed.
The Lahav 433 national investigation unit, together with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), said the investigation found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, but added that a number of problematic aspects emerged “that required clarification by the relevant authorities” – a reference to the IDF.
Dozens of witnesses and additional checks were carried out during the investigation.