Transport Ministry Security Chief Investigated Over Dubai Flight Incident

A senior official in the Israeli Ministry of Transport's Security Department was questioned by Lahav 433, Israel's national fraud investigation unit, on Wednesday regarding a lapse in security concerning a Flydubai flight. The investigation centers on allegations of a conflict of interest involving the official, identified as Avri Cohen, Director of the Security Department.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Cohen and other ministry employees had given testimony to Lahav 433. The unit had opened an inquiry into potential conflicts of interest among ministry employees related to the operations of foreign airlines in Israel, following an attempted terror attack on a Flydubai flight. State service regulations require senior officials like Cohen to obtain special approval from the Civil Service Commissioner for private employment.

Initially, the Ministry of Transport claimed that Cohen had received approval in 2018 to work privately for the airlines he oversees. However, this claim was contradicted by the Civil Service Commission, which stated, "We did not approve nor were we aware of Avri Cohen's private work." The ministry's subsequent response indicated that once the management became aware of Cohen's additional employment, he was instructed to cease it immediately until proper authorization was granted, clarifying that the ministry's management did not forward a request for such authorization to the Civil Service Commission, nor was one granted.

Separately, it was reported that the CEO of Flydubai and senior UAE officials informed Israel that their investigation into the flight incident, which narrowly averted a major attack, had concluded. The airline stated that all failure points were identified and a significant number of employees involved in security breaches were dismissed. Flydubai has requested that the Israeli Minister of Transport, Miri Regev, allow the airline to resume flights to Israel. Senior officials from the Ministry of Transport have been invited for a visit to Dubai next week, but both Minister Regev and the Head of the Civil Aviation Authority, Shmulik Zakhai, have so far declined the invitation.