"Cheat the Ministry of Transport": Alber executives charged with fraudulent offenses in the millions Israel today

The Tax and Economics Prosecutor's Office today filed indictments in the Central District Court in Lod against the companies "Alber", "Haim Levy Trade In", "Global Automax" and their past and present executives, for receiving anything fraudulently, money laundering, smuggling, false registration in corporate documents and customs and tax offenses. More.

The three companies are accused of receiving anything fraudulently and money laundering, and together with them, Yinon Amit, former CEO of Albert and currently a shareholder and managing director of Global Automax; Haim Levy, managing director of Chaim Levy Trade Inn and Global Automax; The companies.

In addition, they are charged - along with Irish Franco, Alber's former CFO; and Reut Benodis, the company's purchasing manager - with smuggling and other customs and tax offenses. Amit, Franco and Benodis are also charged with false registration in Albert's corporate documents.

Also, in the opinion of the Deputy State Attorney, Adv. Shlomo Lemberger, were filed against attorneys Yaron Goldman and Gil Eisenberg, who represented Yinon Amit, indictments for obstruction of justice, dismissal of investigation, confession of evidence and conspiracy to commit a crime and misdemeanor. Yinon Amit is also charged. For this purpose in the offenses of dismissal in an investigation and conspiracy to commit a crime and a misdemeanor.

Eli Eleazar, the owner and chairman of Albert's board;

"Offenses due to sophistication"

This is a comprehensive fraud scheme for obtaining a permit for parallel import of vehicles and import licenses from the Ministry of Transportation - inter alia, using forged agreements with car dealers abroad and forged standardization documents - implemented in the years 2015-2013.

According to the indictment, Albert smuggled 1,828 vehicles to Israel in the amount of NIS 176 million after in 2013 it was decided in Albert to enter a parallel import of vehicles to Israel.

Albert and Haim Levy Trade-In, along with Yinon Amit, Haim Levy and Danny Levy, are accused of working to defraud the Ministry of Transportation and present him with false representations in order to obtain a parallel import permit for Albert.

They were joined by Irish Franco who managed the parallel imports in the financial aspects and Reut Benodis who managed the import processes.

Along with them, an American businessman from the automotive industry is accused of forging for Albert agreements and documents, according to which Albert allegedly contracted with an American company called AUTONATION, which is an authorized agent of the automobile manufacturers Toyota and Honda.

"In practice," the indictment alleges, "none of the defendants or any of the employees of the accused companies had any contact with any of the Authentication personnel or with any of the figures presumed to be signed on top of the forged documents."

The prosecutor's office claims that Albert submitted to the Ministry of Transportation the forged agreements as well as forged standard documents, according to which the authorized agent declares that the vehicle meets all the requirements of the Ministry of Transportation, and in 2014 it received a permit and licenses to import Toyota and Honda vehicles.

"On the basis of the permit and import licenses obtained fraudulently," the indictment states, "Albert fled the United States, until the opening of the investigation against it in 2015, no less than 1,828 vehicles purchased for about NIS 176 million."

The indictment attributes "aggravating circumstances to the commission of the offenses, resulting from the sophistication, use of factors abroad, the economic scope and the potential violation of the safety and consumer rights of the vehicle users."

Attorneys Goldman and Eisenberg are accused, among other things, that together with their client Yinon Amit "conspired to try and retroactively validate the contract and the forged documents submitted by Albert to the Department of Transportation, and to try and oust any of the Authentication personnel who gave the false contract"; And that they advised the colleague "not to give the police a notice during his interrogation in a particular matter, on the grounds of attorney-client confidentiality, even though these are not things that have been exchanged between an attorney and his client."