Abu Latif's cartel: dozens of suspects in a bribery case at the Ministry of Defense - voila! news

The Abu Latif family (photo: documentation on social networks according to Section 27 A of the Copyright Law, no)

Dozens of suspects were arrested today (Monday) on suspicion of running a cartel and biasing the tenders of contractors, attorneys and owners of companies in projects and construction and maintenance tenders of the Ministry of Defense. According to the suspicion, the crime organization Abu Latif from the north was involved in the case.

According to the police, the national unit for combating economic crime (Yal "C) Blahav 433, and the Security Commissioner in the Defense System (MLMB) have been conducting an undercover investigation for the past year, from which a suspicion of biasing of Ministry of Defense tenders by contractors and other suspects as well as suspicion of bribery with officials in the Engineering and Construction Division of the Ministry of Defense emerged. This in return For obtaining inside information and biasing tenders in the field of construction

, the unit's investigations show that one of the contractors suspected in the case has a business relationship with the head of a criminal organization and with other parties identified with that organization.

This morning, the investigation became public, with the arrest of dozens of suspects and those detained for investigation, including contractors, lawyers, company owners, employees and servants in the Engineering and Construction Division of the Ministry of Defense, who are suspected of the crimes of taking bribes, giving bribes, cheating and breach of trust, fraudulently obtaining something under aggravating circumstances, conspiracy For crime, false registration in corporate documents, offenses against the Anti-Money Laundering Law and other economic offences.

The investigation began following information provided by the investigative unit of the Ministry of Defense and the Competition Authority, the Investigating Military Police (MIP) and the Economic Department of the State Attorney's Office are also partners.

The investigation of the national unit for the fight against economic crime and the MLA reveals that, according to the suspicion, dozens of companies operated in the cartel in hundreds of tenders and estimated offenses in the amount of one billion shekels.

The cartel, according to the suspicion, operated in an orderly manner and over time and intensified due to corrupt relations with officials in the Ministry of Defense and the army and within the framework of those relations, the suspects received inside information and various benefits.

The suspects submitted bids in the tenders in order to produce the average they were aiming for, which would also include the bid closest to the average that would win the tender.

With this method, the cartel cheated the Ministry of Defense and the tender funds were fraudulently obtained and used illegally.

The cartel operated with another method when one of the suspected contractors has full control of the companies in which he is not registered and the fictitious registration is intended to present a false representation to the Ministry of Defense and influence the judgment as if different companies were competing in the tender, when in fact the suspect is the one who was behind all those companies.

According to the suspicion, the cartel is a member of highly classified companies that won tenders and in exchange for a percentage of profit, took full responsibility for the execution of the tender without the winning company being involved, all without the knowledge and/or consent of the Ministry of Defense and contrary to the terms of the tender.

During the operation this morning, bank accounts, real estate and more were seized and the police will request their confiscation as part of the criminal proceedings against the suspects.

• news

• News in Israel

• Criminal and legal news

Tags

• Ministry of Defence

• bribe