Ex-general Probed for Tender Irregularities
The affair, involving unexploded mines from an Israeli beach, came to light when Gal Hirsch was named a candidate to be police chief.
A former top officer in the Israel Defense Forces was questioned by the police yesterday over a tender won by a company he owns.
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The investigation into Brig. Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch began following claims of irregularities involving the tender to remove unexploded ordnance. Worth millions of shekels, the tender to remove unexploded mines from the beach at Rishon Letzion was awarded to Hirsch’s firm, Defensive Shield. The company has no experience in mine removals.
According to information obtained by the police, a senior official in the Rishon Letzion municipality who is close to Hirsch allegedly moved ahead the process by which Defensive Shield received the tender. The affair first came to light right last year after Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan announced that Hirsch was his candidate for police commissioner. Hirsch said the information is incorrect and his company won the tender legally.
The investigation is one of two into Hirsch’s business affairs in the security field in various countries, which led Erdan to withdraw the appointment.