Pubdate: Wed, 20 Feb 2002
Source: Ha'aretz (Israel)
Copyright: 2002sHa'aretz Daily Newspaper Ltd.
Contact:  http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/807
Author: Moshe Reinfled

POLICE COVER-UP LETS DRUG DEALER OFF HOOK

The Supreme Court yesterday quashed a two-year jail sentence for convicted 
drug dealer Maxim Cohen after it learned that the police had concealed the 
fact that an agent involved in the arrest had sold drugs during his police 
work.

Justices Dalia Dorner, Eliezer Rivlin and Miriam Naor, however, accepted an 
arrangement between the court-appointed defense attorney and the 
prosecution, whereby Cohen's two-year sentence would be run concurrently 
with a sentence he is currently serving.

The agent, Morris Ben-Hamu, a former prison guard, was used by Be'er Sheva 
police for a four-month period in 1999. The officers who directed Ben-Hamu 
used hidden recording equipment to document drug deals at addresses 
provided by the police. It became apparent, however, that the police did 
not monitor Ben-Hamu's actions once he had been sent to his destination, 
and did not check whether he turned the recording equipment off during his 
mission.

Cohen's appeal to the district court was turned down, but the Public 
Defenders' Office appealed to the Supreme Court on his behalf.

Attorney Hagit Lernau claimed that after Cohen was convicted, it became 
known that Ben-Hamu sold and used drugs during the police work.
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