It appears: Police will recommend not opening an investigation in the Qatar funds affair | First publication
The police are leaning toward a recommendation not to open a criminal investigation into the Qatar funds affair, after examining Shin Bet materials revealed insufficient grounds for serious offenses. The final decision will be passed to the Attorney General.
The police are leaning toward a recommendation not to advance a criminal investigation into the funds transferred from Qatar and other countries during the election period, as reported by Ma'ariv. This follows an examination of materials provided by the Shin Bet to the police's Investigations and Intelligence Division, which indicated that at this stage there is insufficient basis to open a criminal investigation on suspicion of serious offenses. Ma'ariv learned that the materials were reviewed by senior officers in Lahav 433, and the opinion returned to the Shin Bet stated that the existing findings point at most to a suspected minor offense in the area of party financing. However, this is an interim stage, and the final decision has not yet been made. Should the Shin Bet present new findings, the picture may change. The Shin Bet is expected to transfer the materials along with the opinion to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who will decide whether to authorize opening an investigation or order the case closed. The article notes that Judge Noam Sohlberg referred to the materials early in the affair, stating that serious findings were presented to him, but clarified that they do not invalidate the election results.