Police expected to indict Minister Haim Katz in IAI corruption case
The police have finished investigating the corruption regarding Israel Aerospace Industries and will likely recommend the state’s prosecution to indict Labor and Social Services Minister Haim Katz, according to a report by Channel 2 News.
Katz’s name was tied to two sub-cases in the general corruption probe concerning Israel’s largest state-owned aviation manufacturer.
In the first, the minister is suspected of extorting workers and forcing them to join the Likud and to vote for him in party primaries, while he was the chairman of the National Workers Union of IAI. According to the report, Katz threatened the workers that he would fire them or cut their salaries if they would not cooperate with him.
In the second sub-case, it is suspected that Katz used worker and company resources for his own benefit. This sub-case involves his son Yair Katz, who reportedly used company-sponsored construction-related employees for his personal dwelling.
Police investigators suspect Yair Katz received a discount on the renovation, and that the contractor was awarded the IAI tender in an unlawful manner.
Katz was questioned in this case three times, twice in July and once in August.
Following the report of the police’s planned move, Katz said: “Despite the strange subjects that I was questioned on, I had no doubt that police will recommend to indict me,” suggesting that the police had conducted the investigation blindly.
“I am sure that the truth will be revealed in the future,” he said.