A document at the center of a row over the appointment of the next Israel Defense Forces chief of staff has been in the possession of the IDF general staff for several weeks, Israel Radio reported Tuesday, quoting IDF chief Gabi Ashkenazi’s testimony to police officers investigating the affair.
The document is said to outline a public relations campaign drawn up by leading candidate GOC Southern Command Yoav Galant, in an effort to boost his chances of succeeding Ashkenazi.
The radio said Ashkenazi told investigators that he received the document several weeks ago, and it had been transferred to Military Advocate General Avihai Mandelblit, who will determine if there has been any criminal or disciplinary offence.
Israel Radio also said that the document had been leaked and made public before Mandelblit had released his final analysis.
Earlier Tuesday, a police spokesman denied claims made in a Channel 1 television report that the document was in fact a fake.
According to the Channel 1 report, the logo on the document – purportedly belonging to the firm of PR guru Eyal Arad – appears to be a forgery. The television also said that polygraph tests administered to individuals involved in the case supported this assessments.
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein instructed law enforcement authorities to launch an investigation into the alleged forgery. Dozens of military and defense officials have since given statements to police. More figures will likely be called in for questioning in the coming days.
Police refused to comment on media reports pertaining to the investigation’s latest developments.