Investigation centers on companies providing bribes and kickbacks to Israel Aerospace Industries officials in exchange for contracts; suspects include executives, board members, managers, a former IDF officer and a bank manager.
Police have arrested 13 suspects as part of an investigation into corruption in Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and the companies providing it goods and services.
Throughout the course of the investigation, which had been ongoing for several months, several senior company officials were arrested in addition to a former senior IDF officer whom police referred to as “a well-known individual in the security apparatus.”
Among those arrested are also senior board members and a bank manager.
The corruption investigation focused on suppliers providing bribes and kickbacks to company officials in order to win various tenders.
“This is a complex and extensive investigation, which involves a number of different actors being suspected of a variety of offenses including bribery, aggravated fraud, money laundering, theft by a public servant and breach of trust,” police said in a statement.
Police also added that the undercover investigation uncovered “systematic criminal conduct and deep suspected corruption that is apparently the norm in IAI.
“This case includes a large and diverse amount of people involved, including board members, executives, managers, junior staff; all those who were gatekeepers (to IAI), in addition to service providers and consultants for the company.”
The undercover investigation was handled by the Lahav 433 unit of the Israel Police and the Director of Security of the Defense Establishment (“Malmab”). It also involved investigators from the Israel Tax Authority and State Attorney.
As part of the investigation, police have executed search warrants on the homes and offices of the suspects.
As reported by Ynetnews