Suspension of Israeli Company Elbit from NATO Procurement over Corruption Allegations

According to the joint investigation by Follow the Money, La Lettre, Le Soir, and Knack, several current and former NSPA employees are suspected of accepting bribes from defense companies in exchange for multi‑million‑euro contracts. Documents obtained show that Elbit and its subsidiary Orion Advanced Systems were suspended on July 31, with several contracts frozen—including supplies of ammunition, aircraft protection systems, and military detonators.

A key figure linked to the case, identified as Italian citizen Eliau E., is wanted internationally on charges of bribery and participation in an organized criminal group. He owns or directs several defense consulting firms in the U.S., Lithuania, and Greece. While no official connection to Elbit has been disclosed, sources close to the investigation claim he acted as a consultant for the company. Elbit itself is not directly under investigation.

The probe has also led to arrests: a former Belgian Ministry of Defense official and ex‑NSPA employee was detained in May 2025, while a Turkish former NSPA staffer—now head of defense firm Arca—was also arrested in Belgium. He was slated for extradition to the U.S., but the American investigation was abruptly halted in July, leading to his release.

Elbit Systems has categorically denied any involvement, rejecting claims of contract suspensions and insisting that no NATO or NSPA programs have been withdrawn.

Analysts argue that the heightened scrutiny of Israeli defense companies reflects global backlash against Israel’s war crimes and genocide in Gaza, noting that firms like Elbit play a central role in sustaining the military campaigns in the occupied territories and across the region.