Police announced that evidentiary basis had been established against seven health ministry employees on suspicion of accepting bribes and against five importers and food consultants for giving bribes.
It is suspected that for several years, the suspects received bribes and benefits from food importers totaling hundreds of thousands of shekels. In return, they facilitated the rapid release of sensitive food containers arriving through the port of Ashdod, without the goods being sampled and the appropriate medical clearance issued for their release.