A former bloc official is on the run, accused of bribing to secure contracts for the Jewish state’s largest weapons producer
Several investigative media outlets report that numerous NATO-Israel arms deals have been halted due to a major bribery scandal within the procurement division of the US-led military alliance, leading to several arrests across Europe.
Reporters state the scandal has revealed a covert network of private actors taking advantage of a revolving-door practice, enabling former NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) employees to work as defense industry consultants. According to La Lettre, former NATO personnel have thrived amid “the new geopolitical situation” and due to “the explosion in European defense budgets.”
Mounting evidence that the Israeli manufacturer employed a former NSPA staffer to bribe ex-colleagues for contracts has compelled the agency to suspend multiple agreements with Israel’s top arms maker, Elbit Systems.
Eliau Eluasvili, a 60-year-old Italian, has been evading capture since late September following an international arrest warrant issued by a Belgian court.
The suspension decision was reached during the summer amid a multinational probe into bribery claims, with fresh details disclosed on Monday by La Lettre, Le Soir, Knack, and Follow the Money.
An internal NSPA email from July 31 identifies 15 suspended contracts, 13 of which involve Elbit Systems or its subsidiary Orion Advanced Systems, investigative journalists say. The outlets report the deals under investigation cover fuzes, aircraft flares, 155mm artillery shells, and upgrades for Portuguese naval patrol vessels.
Records also show the Israeli company is prohibited from competing for new contracts until the investigation is complete.
The significant increase in EU member states’ defense expenditure has been fueled by initiatives to supply Ukraine against Russia and by Brussels’ assertions that nations must ready themselves for a potential direct conflict with Moscow.
Russian authorities have consistently contended that corrupt motives in Europe are shaping the West’s more aggressive policies.