Minister questioned a second time in Israel Aerospace Industries corruption probe
Katz was questioned starting Thursday morning until shortly before 3:00 p.m. Last week he was questioned for around five hours. He denies any wrongdoing.
By ELIYAHU KAMISHERUpdated: JULY 7, 2017 02:22MK Haim Katz (Likud) 311(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Labor and Social Services Minister Haim Katz was questioned for a second time on Thursday, as a suspect in an corruption probe into Israel’s largest stateowned aviation manufacturer, Israel Aerospace Industries.According to police, Katz – a member of the Likud Party and former chairman of the National Workers Union of IAI – is suspected of allegedly threatening people to join the Likud and vote for him in party primaries.Katz, who denies any wrongdoing, was questioned at Lahav 433 police unit headquarters in Lod beginning on Thursday morning and ending shortly before 3 p.m. Last week he was questioned for around five hours.The IAI investigation became public in March, after 13 people were arrested on suspicion of corruption including aggravated fraud, money laundering, theft by a public servant, fraud and breach of trust.Katz’s son Yair, who is chairman of the engineering sector of the IAI workers committee, was arrested later in March on suspicion of granting benefits to IAI employees in exchange for their joining the Likud Party.Retired IDF Brig.-Gen. Amal Asad was also among those arrested on suspicions of receiving bribes from businessmen at technology company DruzeNet, to further the company’s interests with IAI. Asad denies any wrongdoing.Attorney Illan Bombach, who represents Yair Katz, told The Jerusalem Post in March that his client denied the allegations against him and was cooperating fully with the police.
