Former Israel Navy commander Vice-Admiral (res.) Eliezer Marom was questioned today on suspicion of involvement in the German submarines affair. Six more suspects were arrested yesterday in the affair, and the court extended the remand of three of them, while sending the others to house arrest, including an associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu whose name was barred from publication.
According to law enforcement sources, Marom's name came up as having influenced the preference given German company ThyssenKrupp over a bid from a South Korean company for the procurement of submarines and gas installation protection vessels. Marom was to have been questioned yesterday with the other suspects, but asked for a postponement until today in order to deal with a personal matter, and the investigators granted his request. His questioning today was not a surprise to him. The police said, "Following actions in the investigation yesterday concerning defense procurement in the 3000 affair, another suspect was detained for questioning under caution by the Lahav 433 national fraud squad."
When the submarines affair broke in Israel, it was reported in various media that Marom was suspected of being involved, among other things because he had allegedly pushed to have General (res.) Yeshayahu Bareket fired as ThyssenKrupp's Israeli representative, thereby paving the way for the appointment of businessman Michael (Miki) Ganor to the position. German newspaper Handelsblatt reported in November that ThyssenKrupp sources had confirmed this, and had supported Bareket's statement, published in several Israeli media outlets, that he had been booted out of his job under pressure from the Israel Navy.
Bareket was reported as saying that during Marom's meeting with managers of the ThyssenKrupp group in 2009, Marom had refused to attend meetings at which Bareket was present. Bareket reportedly added that Marom had threatened the German company, "If Bareket continues to represent you, no more submarines will be ordered."
Marom made embarrassing headlines in 2009, when he was reported to have been seen in a strip club in Tel Aviv.
Marom's lawyer told "Globes," "Vice-Admiral (res.) Marom is glad that the open investigation has begun. He finally has a chance to respond to questions. He has nothing to hide; the contrary is true. His answers will give a full and accurate account of the course of events, and it will be made clear that his behavior was impeccable. At numerous points during his term as commander of the Navy, he was the boy with his finger in the dike."
Associates of Marom told "Globes" that all the claims that he had caused Bareket to be fired were nonsense, and would be proved false. "Marom is a hero of Israel, an honest and decent man. That is what he has always been and will be, and his name will be cleared at the end of the investigation," said one of his associates."
Published by Globes [online], Israel Business News - www.globes-online.com - on July 11, 2017
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