Kirya commander suspected of corruption
Col. Yigal Ben-Ami, the commander of the IDF's headquarters in Tel Aviv, is suspected of making personal use of vehicles meant for major generals and receiving benefits from contractors carrying out renovations at the base; he denies the charges.
Col. Yigal Ben-Ami, the commander of the Kirya IDF headquarters base in Tel Aviv, is under investigation by the military police on suspicions of corruption, it was cleared for publication on Thursday.
The officer has so far been questioned twice for many hours, during which he provided his version to investigators.
Ben-Ami announced Thursday he was taking a hiatus. In light of the suspicions against him, he has also brought forward his retirement from the IDF from January to early September.
The suspected crimes took place over a period of three years, during which he allegedly made personal use of vehicles put at the disposal of the IDF's top brass, including off-road vehicles used by major generals, which he took on vacations and on weekends. He also allegedly put some of the vehicles at the disposal of his relatives, also for personal use.
Ben-Ami is also suspected of giving comfortable jobs at the Kirya base to soldiers whose parents have a friendly or a business relationship with the colonel.
The senior officer is further suspected of of real estate fraud in addition to allegedly receiving benefits or discounts from contractors working on renovations at the Kirya base.
Ben-Ami has denied the allegations against him, but admitted to involvement in some of the suspicions, including the placement of soldiers and the use of the vehicles—claiming it was all in line with rules and regulations.
Sources close to the senior officer claim he also denies receiving money to assign soldiers, noting he has known the soldiers' parents for many years, and they have even volunteered together.
Ben-Ami claims he did not receive anything from the contractors who are carrying out renovations in the Kirya base, and that these projects were lawfully approved by the Defense Ministry's construction department.
Despite the denials by Ben-Ami's lawyers, Chief Military Advocate Col. Ran Cohen and attorney Avi Amiram, who said they believe the case will result in disciplinary action alone, officials at the Military Advocate General's Office believe the evidence against Ben-Ami is grave and that the case will result in an indictment.
At the same time, Col. Ben-Ami hasn't been arrested by the military police, and he has been cooperating with investigators.
The Israel Police and tax authorities are also involved in the investigation, and Ben-Ami's wife gave her own testimony to the police.
Ben-Ami's lawyers said in a statement that Ben-Ami "is a highly respected officer and commander who has been serving in the IDF for over 30 years in field units and at the forefront of the action. The officer was shocked by the suspicions against him, and he categorically denies them. He has been fully cooperating in the investigation, has answered all the questions and presented his answers in detail. He has also provided evidence that contradicts the suspicions. We are confident that the suspicions will be rejected and call for the quick completion of the investigation. The officer has asked to go on hiatus in order to allow the investigation to be completed quickly without any interruptions. His commanders agreed to the request and he thanks them for it."
The IDF Spokesman's Office said that "in recent days, the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) has questioned a colonel on suspicions of actions that undermine ethicality and violate the army's orders. The investigation is ongoing and we cannot at this stage provide additional details. When the investigation is completed, its findings will be examined by the Military Advocate General's Office."
