Senior Prison Service Officer Removed After Raising Procurement Concerns in Elite Unit

A senior officer in the elite Masada unit of the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) has accused his superiors of sidelining him after he raised concerns about irregularities in a procurement process. The officer, who has served in the unit for 17 years and works in weapons development, sent an unusual letter to the State Comptroller seeking recognition as a whistleblower. He claimed that he warned about serious flaws in a tender related to the training course for unit fighters, specifically criticizing the selection of the "Ta'as" College, which he said was about 44% more expensive than another institution that offered similar services.

According to the letter, the procurement process lacked transparency, and when the officer attempted to address his concerns, he was told by his commanders, "You don't touch this." Following his warnings, he was removed from his position and replaced by someone with allegedly less experience, without his consent. His lawyer described the decision as extremely unreasonable and discriminatory, especially given the officer's long service and expertise.

The officer also reported experiencing collective ostracism within the unit, including the removal of his private parking spot, confiscation of his long weapon without explanation, and isolation from colleagues and commanders. A meeting with the head of the IPS operations division reportedly concluded that the involved parties could not continue serving together until a thorough investigation, yet the officer was the one recommended for removal.

The letter accuses senior unit officials of targeting the officer after he exposed the procurement irregularities and calls on the State Comptroller to investigate both the procurement process and the alleged retaliation against him. The officer seeks official recognition as a whistleblower and a review of the circumstances surrounding his transfer.