Israel's Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit has decided to indict, subject to a hearing, former senior executives at Shikun & Binui Holdings Ltd. (TASE: SKBN) as well as the company itself, on suspicion of bribing public officials in Africa in order to win infrastructure tenders in Kenya and other countries, sources inform "Globes."
The sources close to the matter say that at the hearing the executives will be questioned about the alleged bribes, money laundering and other offenses. Those to be summoned to hearings before an indictment include former chair Ravit Barniv and two former CEOs Moshe Lahmani and Ofer Kotler as well as other senior executives.
Shikun & Binui itself will be tried over its organizational doctrine, even though control of the company has since changed hands since the suspected offenses were committed. In August 2018 Naty Saidoff bought control of Shikun & Binui from Shari Arison.
Sources also believe that Ruby Lazarov, a partner at the BDO Ziv Haft accounting firm, who served as Shikun & Binui's auditor and is also suspected of being involved in the offenses, will also be indicted.
However, the case against former Shikun & Binui controlling shareholder Shari Arison is expected to be close without an indictment although it remains unclear whether Arison Group chair Efrat Peled will be prosecuted for bribery.
Presumption of innocence: Even if an indictment, subject to a hearing, is made against the people cited in this article, all those involved deny the allegations against them and have the right to be presumed innocent.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on January 31, 2021
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