Israel’s richest woman, Shari Arison, faces possible indictment

Israeli police say Shari Arison should be indicted for bribery in connection with African construction contracts. 

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli Police and the Israeli Securities Authority recommended indicting Shari Arison on Sunday in a case relating to construction contracts in a number of African countries. The police seized over $100 million in assets.

Shari Arison is Israel’s richest woman with an estimated worth of $5 billion.

The case involves the activities of the Shikun & Binui, one of the largest construction companies in Israel, whose parent company is Arison Investments, which is owned by Ms. Arison.

According to investigators, the company bribed officials in African countries to win construction contracts.

“Bribes totaling tens of millions of shekels were transferred, which generated jobs and benefits measured in hundreds of millions of shekels,” said a statement by the Israel police’s Lahav 433 financial crimes unit.

Together with Arison, several executives from Shikun & Binui are also accused of bribery.

“This is a complex investigation, in which 50 suspects were interrogated and 34 testimonies were taken,” the police statement said. Nineteen Kenyan citizens were also arrested in connection with the case.

Ms. Arison is heiress to Carnival Cruise Lines, founded by her father, Ted Arison, in 1972, a third-generation Israeli.

Frustrated with the lack of business opportunities, he left Israel in the early 1950s and went on to found Norwegian Cruise Lines and Carnival Cruise Lines.