August 3, 2012

(JTA) — Seven female police officers have accused the commander of the Israel Police Jerusalem District of sexual misconduct, Israeli media reported.

District Commander Niso Shaham, 54, has transferred his responsibilities to subordinates for the duration of the investigation, which began last week, a police spokesperson said, according to an Israel Army Radio report on Friday. Shaham is currently on leave.

The Justice Ministry’s internal investigations department opened the probe into Shaham’s actions based on a complaint by a subordinate. She accused Shaham of sexual misconduct.

Over the past week, six additional police officers pressed charges against Shaham. The complaints range from harassment to physical sexual abuse, the news site Ynet reported. The news site quoted an unnamed police officer as saying the investigation could be over by next week.

Shaham arrived on Thursday for a second questioning on the allegations. Also on Thursday, one of Shaham’s subordinate officers admitted to not processing a sexual misconduct complaint against Shaham. The subordinate officer, Nissim Edri, will face a disciplinary review committee.

Shaham was appointed commander of the Jerusalem District in May 2011.

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