Local Editor 20-01-2010

Three "Israeli" businessmen have been indicted by the US Justice Department, being accused of attempting to bribe the war minister of an African country, to take advantage of a multimillion military contracts.

Along with the three business men, 19 others indicted in the same case were arrested. The accused "Israeli" businessmen are 50 year old Ofer Paz and Haim Geri; the presidents of an Israeli company North Miami Beach, Florida, company. The third 47 year old Yochi Cohen, the chief executive officer of a San Francisco company which manufactures security equipment.

As Haaretz reported, the indictments charge the businessmen with conspiracy and substantive violations of the corrupt practices act, and conspiracy to engage in money laundering.

According to the charges, if convicted, the defendants could face a maximum of a five year prison sentence. As for the money laundering conspiracy, the maximum prison sentence is twenty years.

In order to secure business contracts, the bribery of foreign government officials was banned in the 1977 US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, where this case marks the largest single investigation and prosecution of individuals.