Legal advice for an MPCID investigation in Israel: what it includes and when to call

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Legal advice for an MPCID investigation: what it includes, when to call and what to do at each stage

Have you been summoned for questioning by the IDF Military Police Criminal Investigation Division (MPCID, known in Hebrew as Matzach), or was someone close to you arrested or taken in? What is said in an interrogation is recorded and can be used as evidence, so it is worth speaking to a lawyer before you give a statement.

I am Adv. and Notary Emanuel Trach, with 15 years of experience. I served in the MPCID Central Unit for Special Investigations, where I was certified as a skilled computer crime investigator and as a technical surveillance officer (recordings, photography and wiretaps), and I worked as a lawyer in the criminal-administrative department of the Shin Bet. Today I represent soldiers, career personnel and reservists in MPCID investigations and in the military courts.

What legal advice in an MPCID investigation means

Legal advice is a conversation with a lawyer before a statement is taken. In that conversation I find out what the suspicion is and in what capacity you were summoned, explain what the investigators are trying to achieve and what each possible answer means. The aim is that you know what you are doing before you do it, not that you memorize a version of events.

Sometimes the right decision is to speak and sometimes it is to remain silent. It depends on the evidence that already exists, the type of offense, what has been said so far and your relationship with your unit.

Who investigates and how the MPCID is organized

The MPCID is the body that investigates offenses committed by soldiers. It operates from bases in the northern and southern regions, and it has national units that handle complex or sensitive investigations, such as fraud, drug trafficking or weapons. A soldier arrested by the Israel Police in a civilian incident is sometimes transferred to the MPCID for further handling.

How an investigation begins

• A complaint by a soldier, a commander or a civilian.
• Information collected from various sources, which is usually the basis for opening an investigation.
• A urine test and a drug-test order, which usually open an investigation on suspicion of drug use.
• Incrimination by another suspect.
• Covert activity by an undercover agent, in drug and weapons cases.
• An arrest by the Israel Police that is transferred to the MPCID.

Refusing to provide a urine sample under a drug-test order is an offense. Since 2017 the policy of the Military Prosecution has been that a soldier who refused such an order is generally brought to disciplinary proceedings in his or her unit.

When to get in touch

Before questioning. If you received a summons, by phone or through your commander, there is usually time to consult. This is the stage at which advice helps the most.

When investigators arrive unannounced. Investigators come to the unit, call you to the sergeant major’s room or offer a “short chat”. Even a chat like that can turn into an interrogation. You can ask to consult before you speak.

After questioning. If you were already questioned without advice, or the file remains open, you can still act. I wrote about this situation in my guide on an open MPCID file after questioning.

If the person being questioned is your son, see what parents do right now.

What to expect from the interrogation itself

An MPCID interrogation can be long: hours of questions that repeat in different words, and sometimes investigators who replace one another while the suspect stays in the same chair. The investigators are in no hurry, so a person who goes in without understanding this feels pressure to finish quickly. That pressure is the source of many mistakes.

There is no need to answer at any cost or at speed. A person who arrives prepared, who knows what he or she wants to talk about and what not, and who understands that the questioning is long, behaves differently.

The rights of a person being questioned

A soldier questioned as a suspect is entitled to consult a lawyer. Before a statement is taken the suspect must be warned that he or she does not have to say anything and that what is said will be recorded and may be used as evidence. There are narrow exceptions in which consultation may be delayed, for example in suspected security offenses, so it is worth reaching out immediately.

Consulting a lawyer does not work against you. The decision to remain silent is also a right, and it is not an admission.

The Military Defense Office assigns a military defender to a soldier under investigation, and this is a right that can be used. Some soldiers choose a private lawyer, in order to choose who accompanies them, to speak before the interrogation without waiting, or to continue with the same lawyer in later stages. The decision is yours.

Interrogation tactics

MPCID investigators are experienced. They conduct a conversation whose purpose is to understand what happened and to build the basis for an indictment. A few things worth knowing in advance:

• Investigators cannot promise a lighter sentence. The decision whether to file an indictment and what the sentence will be is not in their hands, but in the hands of the Military Prosecution and the court.
• An investigator may open with a pleasant conversation, ask about your family and service, and only then move to questions about the incident.
• Investigators use tactics: a hint that a friend has already talked, switching between a calm investigator and a sharp one, a long interrogation and time pressure. Some tactics are permitted and some are not, and the question is examined in each case.
• In serious cases an informant or undercover agent is sometimes used. If you suspect that the person facing you is cooperating with the investigators, tell me in the first conversation.

Earlier conversations with commanders

Not every conversation takes place in an interrogation room. A commander who asks “what happened”, a sergeant major who asks you on the phone, or a friend in the unit who shows interest may record what is said, and sometimes it reaches the file. So it is worth consulting before the interrogation, and also before such conversations when you know a suspicion exists. Do not coordinate versions with others and do not post anything on social media.

Digital evidence, recordings and searches

My background as a computer crime investigator and technical surveillance officer allows me to examine how digital evidence was collected, who produced it, how it was preserved and what was not presented in the file. In cases involving a search of a home or a phone, there are questions about consent, the warrant and the way the data was extracted. I wrote about this in my guide on home and phone searches in MPCID investigations.

Do not delete material after you learn about the investigation. Deletion may be treated as obstruction and make your situation worse.

Common offenses

• Drugs: an investigation that opens with a urine test, a drug-test order or incrimination.
• Computer offenses and digital material: one of the areas in which my background is especially relevant.
• Weapons: losing a weapon, unlawful use, removing a weapon from military control.
• Violence and sexual offenses: investigations that usually involve witnesses and phone messages.
• Forged sick notes and fraud: investigations based on documents and records.
• Absence from service: see desertion from the army.

What happens after the interrogation

At the end of the interrogation, if the soldier is arrested, he or she is brought before the military court, and in certain cases it is possible to ask for release to detention in the unit. The file passes to the Military Prosecution, which may close it, transfer it to disciplinary proceedings or file an indictment. In offenses at felony level, under the guidelines of the Chief Military Prosecutor, there is generally a right to make arguments before a decision on an indictment. Even a person who has been discharged from the army may be summoned for questioning or trial for an offense from the period of service. More detail is in the pages on representation in the military court and on MPCID investigations.

How the legal support works

A lawyer does not sit in the interrogation room with the person being questioned. I accompany the person from outside the room, before the interrogation and by phone. I receive your inquiry by phone or WhatsApp, understand the situation and arrange a conversation before the interrogation. After the interrogation I check what was recorded, what is happening in the file and what the next steps are.

I do not promise that a file will be closed. The result depends on the evidence, the investigators and the prosecution. What can be done is to arrive prepared, avoid mistakes that cannot be fixed, and manage the rest of the proceedings correctly.

Fees

There is no uniform price. At the investigation stage the representation can be limited to that stage only, and if it continues, it is agreed separately. The agreement is made in writing.

Also read: Military court: legal representation and the overview of a military lawyer in Israel.

Frequently asked questions

What is legal advice in an MPCID investigation?

A conversation with a lawyer before a statement is taken, in which the suspicion, the rights and the risks are explained and a decision is made on how to proceed.

When should I get advice?

As early as possible, preferably before the investigation begins. You can reach out during the investigation and after it, but what was said has already been recorded.

Am I required to consult a lawyer?

No. But what is said in an interrogation is recorded and can be used as evidence, so it is worth consulting beforehand.

Is the lawyer in the interrogation room?

No. The lawyer does not sit in the interrogation room with the person being questioned. He accompanies the person outside the room, before the interrogation and by phone.

What is the difference between a military defender and a private lawyer?

The Military Defense Office assigns a defender to a soldier. A private lawyer is chosen by you, and you can speak with him before the interrogation and continue with him in later stages. The decision is yours.

I was summoned and I do not know what the suspicion is. What should I do?

That does not mean there is no suspicion. It is worth consulting before you arrive, because statements are already recorded during the interrogation itself.

Can I get advice after I was already questioned?

Yes. It is worth finding out what was said, what was signed and what the next stage in the file is.

Can parents contact a lawyer on behalf of their son or daughter?

Yes, and that is usually how it starts. The representation itself is conducted with the soldier and with his or her consent.

What should I not say in an interrogation?

There is no single list that suits everyone. Investigators cannot promise a lighter sentence, and “off the record” conversations can reach the file. So it is worth consulting beforehand.

Can I be questioned by the MPCID after being discharged?

Yes, if the offense was committed while you were a soldier.

Contact

Phone or WhatsApp: +972-55-2550011. Office: 94 Yigal Alon Street, Alon Towers 2, 4th floor, Tel Aviv. The information on this page is general and is not legal advice for a specific case. Last updated: 31.10.2026.

[BTNSEN]