The prime minister ordered the Shin Bet to investigate senior officials in his bureau.
Sources inform ''Globes'' that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) to investigate senior officials in the Prime Minister's Bureau and the entire Prime Minister's Office on suspicion of leaking sensitive security information to the media.
The leaks from closed meetings on sensitive issues, occurred four months ago. Netanyahu suspects that outside parties were listening to the meeting. He raised the issue with Security Agency director Yuval Diskin. The Security Agency monitored and listened in on senior officials at the Prime Minister's Office, including National Security Advisor Uiz Arad, Prime Minister's Bureau chief Natan Eshel, Netanyahu advisor Ron Dermer, cabinet secretary Avi Hauser, and media advisor Nir Hefetz. The officials were subsequently called to take polygraph tests at the Security Agency's offices.
The Security Agency said in response, "In recent months, the Israel Security Agency investigated suspected leaks of sensitive information at the request of the prime minister. The investigation was coordinated with the attorney general and with his consent. The investigation examined several people at the Prime Minister's Bureau and elsewhere. The investigation found that the leaks were not made by anyone at the Prime Minister's Bureau. The results of the investigation were brought to the attention of the attorney general."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 6, 2011
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