Sa'ar vs. Haskel in High Court affidavit: No demand to photograph vote on comptroller, this is provocation
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar filed an affidavit with the High Court of Justice rejecting MK Sharren Haskel's claims that she was required by the New Hope faction to document her vote in the election for State Comptroller. Sa'ar called the claims a 'media provocation' and denied any demand from Likud. Haskel gave an open testimony to police, and the affair may lead to a criminal investigation into perjury.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar filed an affidavit with the High Court of Justice rejecting the claims submitted by MK Sharren Haskel, according to which she was required by the New Hope faction to document her vote in the Knesset election for State Comptroller. Sa'ar wrote that 'all of the petitioner's claims in this matter are not only baseless, they are also irrelevant and intended to create a media provocation.' He denied any demand from Likud for faction members to photograph their votes, and noted that the party chairman, who was abroad at the time, made clear that faction members should not photograph themselves. Haskel today gave an open testimony for about an hour and a half at the Lahav 433 offices in Lod. She confirmed the affidavit she had submitted, and investigators tried to understand whether the instruction to document the vote came from within Likud or from New Hope. The police want to expand the investigation and summon Likud MKs to give open testimony, which requires the approval of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. The affair began after the High Court disqualified the elections for State Comptroller earlier last month, which were held between Netanyahu's lawyer Raavilo and retired Supreme Court Justice Yosef Elron, due to a substantial flaw in the selection process. The disqualification occurred after a number of MKs photographed themselves voting, which is supposed to be secret by law. Likud claimed there was no instruction for MKs to violate secrecy, and that the photographs were taken on their own initiative. Haskel, who resigned from the government following the law freezing arrests of draft dodgers, is waging a legal battle to split from the National Right faction. The contradiction in the parties' versions led the Attorney General to order an open testimony from Haskel, and according to the details she provides, a decision may be made to open a criminal investigation to examine whether a false affidavit was submitted to the High Court.