4 indicted in PA smuggling, bribery case

Police Investigations Unit files indictment against Border Guard officer, 3 others for taking bribes, endangering public by allowing PA trucks into Israel with unchecked cargo

Aviad Glickman|Published: 08.15.11 , 18:54

An indictment was filed Monday by the Police Investigations Unit with the Jerusalem District Court against Atta Marei, 32, a Border Guard officer from Beit Jan who was in charge of the al-Jib checkpoint near Jerusalem, as well as two security guards and an Israeli citizen.

The four are charged with bribery offences, endangering public health and conspiracy to commit a crime.

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According to the indictment, Marei and his associates, security guards Atad Kabalan, 26, and Talih Ravah, 31, conspired with Shimon Ohayon, 34, to transfer vehicles including trucks loaded with cargo from the Palestinian Authority into Israel for NIS 250,000 ($70,725).

According to the Police investigations Unit, the three allowed vehicles to enter Israel even though they were not on the list of vehicles approved for entry and without the necessary security procedures.

Moreover, police allege that the suspects did not know what the cargo entering Israel included but were aware of the security and health risks entailed.

Endangering the public

The indictment points to 50 cases where the three, together with Ohayon, gave the vehicles free passage, receiving NIS 5,000 ($1,415) per vehicle.

The officer and the security guards would take various precautions including scanning the checkpoint area, accompanying the trucks and coordinating the passage via phone calls with the drivers.

The indictment has been divided into two parts. One part addresses the Border Guard officer and the other addresses the other three suspects.

This has been done so that the officer will be able to testify against the other three defendants and vice versa. In addition to the indictments, the Police Investigations Unit has requested that the four be held in custody until the end of all legal proceedings against them.