The police are also probing IEC's turbine contract with General Electric and Siemens.
The Israel Police National Fraud Unit today questioned under caution former Minister of National Infrastructures Joseph Paritzky on two major cases. One is Paritzky's comments taped by private investigator Yaakov Eshel, in which Paritzky is heard soliciting a frame-up of Minister of the Interior Avraham Poraz, when both men were Shinui MKs.
The second case is Paritzky's actions in the natural gas affair. Joseph (Yossi) Maiman, who owns Merhav, which won a tender to sell natural gas to Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) together with Eastern Mediterranean Gas (EMG), claimed that Paritzky's actions in the deal were questionable. Maiman said that Paritzky had apparently been subject to pressure to cancel the IEC-EMG deal in favor of EMG's competitor, British Gas. Maiman also claimed that Paritzky held meetings in London, hosted by British Gas.
Sources inform “Globes” that the police will also investigate the turbine contract IEC signed with General Electric (NYSE:GE) and Siemens (NYSE:SI; XETRA:SIE) to build eight diesel or natural gas-driven power stations for an estimated $500 million.
The police investigation into this deal is based on recently obtained information that implies that individuals linked to top IEC officials received commissions or consultancy fees when IEC signed the contracts.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on July 21, 2004