A senior Health Ministry employee and a consultant she hired were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of tender bias, fraud and breach of trust, after she allegedly transferred millions of shekels worth of work to various companies close to the consultant or owned by her.
Prior to the arrest, the Jerusalem District Fraud Unit received a complaint by the Health Ministry's Audit Division, which raised suspicions that the consultant, whom the senior official authorized to manage various areas of the Ministry, including financial engagements with various suppliers and subcontractors, transferred the work, the cumulative sum of millions of shekels, to companies close to her or owned by her while making false representations.
A policeman holding handcuffs (archive), photo: Oren Ben Hakon
In addition, there was a suspicion that the companies were required to employ the consultant's relative, when payment for the employment was submitted to the Ministry of Health, sometimes with substantial details changed in order to conceal the act. Following the complaint, the police opened an undercover investigation and, as stated, arrested the two, who were taken for questioning under warning at the Jerusalem District Fraud Unit. At the end of the interrogation, the senior official was placed under house arrest and other restrictive conditions, and the counselor's detention was extended until tomorrow in court. In addition to them, the police arrested several managers of large software companies in the economy.
The Health Ministry said: "As part of an investigation conducted by the ministry into conduct in recent years, suspicion of criminal acts was discovered. The details were passed on to the police. The internal examination was carried out as part of the Ministry's ongoing activities to ensure proper conduct. The Ministry of Health assists and cooperates with law enforcement agencies as required."
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