Senior Prison Service Officer Removed After Raising Procurement Concerns in Elite Unit
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
A senior officer in the Israeli Prison Service's elite Masada unit claims he was removed from his post after exposing procurement irregularities in a training course tender. He has appealed to the State Comptroller for recognition as a whistleblower and an investigation into both the procurement process and the retaliation he faced.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Senior IPS Masada unit officer alleges removal after whistleblowing on procurement flaws.
- Officer criticized selection of a training provider that was 44% more expensive than alternatives.
- He was told by commanders not to interfere and was later replaced without consent.
- The officer faced ostracism, weapon confiscation, and isolation within the unit.
- A meeting suggested involved parties couldn't serve together, but he was recommended for removal.
- He seeks State Comptroller's investigation and official whistleblower recognition.
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.
