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Israeli Security Minister Benny Gantz announces the appointment of a special investigative committee on the submarine problem linked to “an agreement that Israel concluded with Germany,” and close associates of Netanyahu attack the measure.
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Israeli media: Gantz has given committee members 4 months to present final report
Israeli Security Minister Benny Gantz announced on Sunday his decision to “appoint a special investigation committee on the subject of submarines linked to an agreement concluded by Israel with Germany on the purchase of submarines for the Israeli navy and diving equipment. military “, according to Israeli media.
Israeli media said Gantz “appointed a retired judge, Amnon Strashnov, to head the committee, which also revealed its members.”
The Israeli website i24NEWS noted that “in recent weeks Gantz has held numerous consultations with former judicial and security officials, informing them of the information available to him on the case. He later came to the conclusion that he must appoint an investigative committee under the Ministry of Security to reveal part of the operations. That led to the purchase of submarines and military diving tools, and the investigation of procedures and methods for implementing communications. “
For his part, the head of the coalition, Micky Zohar (Likud), commented on Gantz’s decision, saying: “Establishing an investigative committee on the underwater issue is a kind of challenge for the Likud party and its leader. Although Gantz he is well aware that Netanyahu is not involved in the issue, he is working to discredit him and risk the unity of the coalition. Government. “
The Likud and its leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, oppose the appointment of such a committee.
According to the Israeli media, “Gantz gave the committee members 4 months until the presentation of the final report, and ordered them to work with all professional experts from the Ministry of Security, and that they must carry out their work independently without any political interference. “, highlighting that” the committee’s conclusions will be published transparently before the hearing. ”
In the context, the Israeli website “Wallah” said that “near Netanyahu, on Sunday, he attacked the Minister of Security, Benny Gantz, for the decision to form an investigation committee on the submarine issue”, and stated that he “converted to the Ministry of Security in a political tool. “
The warships and submarines problem is known as “Case 3000” and focuses on the existence of a possible conflict of interest in an agreement to buy billions of shekels worth of military ships and submarines from the German shipbuilder. “Thyssen Group” in 2016.
And in 2019, Israeli prosecutors announced that charges were brought against former officials and close associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a “major corruption case related to corruption in the purchase of naval vessels.”
The Israeli police believe that “Israeli officials took bribes to pay for a big deal to buy ships and submarines worth hundreds of millions of dollars”, which was described as “the largest corruption case in Israel’s history.”
And in 2017, a report issued by Israeli “Channel 2” revealed that “an official internal document, showing that in 2014, bribes were paid to Israelis during the submarine agreement with Israel.”
According to the document revealed by MK Ariel Margalit, through a company affiliated to “ThyssenKrupp” called “Perostal”, “sums of money were transferred to officers of various military ranks of the Israeli Navy.”
The report said that Margalit “traveled to Germany, returned documents and sent a letter to the attorney general, in which she wrote that the history of the German company ThyssenKrupp is full of bribes for high officials and heads of everything related to submarine business and boats”.
He added that this “reached Israel and was documented for the first time and requires an immediate criminal investigation.” Furthermore, “there are a number of personalities who must testify, such as the prime minister.”
On the other hand, the Prime Minister’s Office stated that “the dive purchase process was carried out by the professional bodies of the army, the Ministry of Security and the National Security Council in organized and documented procedures.”
Netanyahu is reportedly “charged with corruption, embezzlement and breach of trust in a number of cases,” thus becoming the first Israeli prime minister to face trial during his tenure.
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