Attorney General defends police from critics' attacks over Netanyahu probe

Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit backed the police on Thursday in response to attacks from Netanyahu and other Likud politicians following their Tuesday recommendations to indict the prime minister for bribery in two separate cases.In addition to the PM's attacks, Channel 2 and Channel 10 published criticism against the police voiced by unnamed state prosecution officials late Wednesday night. The officials stated that the recommendations seemed sloppy, thrown together in a rush and in need of further investigation, according to the report.Initially, Mandelblit's spokesperson refused to confirm or deny the reports about scrutiny of the police from anonymous state prosecution officials, but on Thursday morning he issued a statement confirming that "the publication of the police regarding the completion of their investigation into Cases 1000 and 2000 was done in complete coordination with the attorney-general."The police statement was approved by Mandelblit and by State Attorney Shai Nitzan "as required and as is standard," Mandelblit's spokesperson added."The attorney-general and the state prosecution act in complete coordination and with excellent cooperation with the Israeli Police."Qualifying their statement Mandelblit's spokesperson said, "Obviously the legal conclusion regarding the cases will only be formulated after a careful review of all of the collected evidence... and the veracity of any other publications regarding this are purely the responsibility of those who publish such reports."