Shari Arison, Israel's richest woman and heiress to the Carnival Cruise Line empire, is facing indictment in a case pertaining to alleged bribes to officials for construction contracts in several African countries.
The case was brought to the public's attention last year in February, but only on Sunday did the Polie and the Israel Securities Authority recommended that Arison be indicted.
Arison and several executives of the company Shikun & Binui (Housing & Construction), the largest construction conglomerate in Israel, are accused of bribery, a criminal offense that has only lately been enforced among Israel's business community.
"This is a complex investigation, in which 50 suspects were interrogated and 34 testimonies were taken," the police's Lahav 433 Major Crimes Unit said.
At least 19 Kenyan citizens have been arrested in connection with the investigation, which is being carried out in conjunction with the Kenyan police.
"Bribes totaling tens of millions of shekels were transferred, which generated jobs and benefits measured in hundreds of millions of shekels," the police statement added.
Shikun & Binui's business ventures in Kenya mainly involve road construction and maintenance.
Arison is the daughter of Ted Arison, who founded Carnival Cruise Lines, and was the major force behind Bank Hapoalim, the largest bank in Israel. Her personal worth is estimated at some $5 billion.
This article was originally published by i24NEWS. Read more at https://www.i24news.tv/en.
