Pictured Above: An Israeli submarine. (Illustrative photo.) Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

(JNS.org) The Israel Police detained a former IDF general for questioning Tuesday as part of an investigation into Israel’s multi-million dollar acquisition of three additional submarines from the German manufacturer ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS).

In the probe, dubbed “Case 3,000,” investigators suspect that crimes include bribery and money laundering. The general, whose identity has not been disclosed, was interrogated as a suspect in the Lod offices of the Lahav 433 serious crime unit.

Tuesday’s detention followed the arrests of six other suspects for questioning Monday. The suspects included Avriel Bar-Yosef, the former deputy head of Israel’s National Security Council, and Miki Ganor, the Israeli representative of TKMS. Another suspect is said to be a close associate of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“At the time of the events, some of the suspects involved were civil servants, while others worked in the private sector,” the Israel Police’s Investigations and Intelligence Division said in a statement Monday.

The controversial submarine order was designed to replace Israel’s three oldest submarines with state-of-the-art vessels, enabling the Jewish state to maintain a modern fleet of six submarines. 

The fact that Netanyahu’s personal attorney, David Shomron, represents TKMS in Israel led to a media firestorm in January, despite denials by the prime minister and Shomron of any improper decision-making or undue influence during the acquisition. Adding to the controversy, Iran holds a 4.5-percent stake in the German manufacturer.

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