Soldier indicted with theft of night vision gear
Equipment valued at NIS 35,000 still not found, investigators say soldier gave it to family member to sell, share in profits. Meanwhile, IDF major charged with sexual, physical abuse of son
The investigation to discover whether the soldier, the brigade commanding officer's signalman, sold the equipment to border smugglers is ongoing. The equipment has yet to be found.
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According to the indictment, the theft took place after the High Holidays, in September. The investigation reveals that the soldier took advantage of the fact the brigade commanding officer, ranked colonel, went home, and the equipment was in a jeep at the brigade's headquarters in Mount Sagi. The suspect used his security access to take the key to the colonel's jeep from the office of two senior officers and then took the equipment in broad daylight.
The investigators claim the soldier then gave the equipment to a family member who was waiting at the post at Mount Harif. One of the officers in the unit gave him a ride to the area. The indictment also states that the soldier and his relative decided that the equipment would be sold and the two would share in the profits.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said that a military police investigation has been opened in regards to the missing equipment, and its findings will be given to the Military Advocate General.
Night vision equipment is considered holy in the IDF. Abandoning it is as severe as abandoning other weaponry. Military police interrogated the brigade commanding officer, but he has been cleared from the suspicion of negligence. The investigators will attempt to find out whether the equipment made its way to one of the smuggling groups on the Egyptian border, an issue that the Sagi Regional Brigade deals with every night.
Sexual assault
An IDF officer, ranked major, has been indicted with seven charges of sexual and physical abuse of his son, from when the boy was 10 to 16 years old.
The officer will be taken to a remand hearing on Sunday. The major was arrested last week.
It is claimed the father watched pornographic videos in front of his family members, and in some cases, he called his son, then 10 years old, to watch with him. He is also accused of performing sodomy on his son during the course of those years.
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