Israeli Newspaper Ha´aretz, Internet Edition, March 5th,
2001:
Israeli businessmen suspected
of ties to Peruvian money laundering
scheme
By Aryeh Dayan
Ha'aretz Correspondent
The funds deposited in Swiss branches of Israeli banks by former
Peruvian spy chief Vladimoros Montesinos were bribery payments he
received from Israeli businessmen as part of a deal for the sale of
Russian fighter aircraft to Peru's armed forces, according to the
special prosecutor appointed by the Peruvian government to
investigate corruption charges against Montesinos and the country's
former president, Alberto Fujimori.
In a telephone interview from his office in Lima, Dr. Jose Carlos
Ugaz told Ha'aretz that, "the findings of the investigation so far
indicate that Montesinos was closely connected to a group of
businessmen - some Israeli and some Jews with Peruvian citizenship -
who acted for him in international arms deals, from which he
collected illegal commissions."
These commissions were deposited in various banks in Switzerland,
including branches of Bank Leumi and the First International Bank of
Israel group. Ugaz said that Swiss deposits totaled some $70 million,
although he was unable to say how much of this total landed in the
Swiss branches of Israeli banks.
Ugaz mentioned the names of several Israeli businessmen allegedly
involved in arms deals with Montesinos. "An Israeli lawyer named
Mordechai Mincher is the one who represented Montesinos at the
Israeli banks in Switzerland and he is also the person upon whose
recommendation the Israeli banks in Switzerland agreed to open these
accounts," Ugaz said.
Attorney Mincher, who served as a legal adviser to the Eisenberg
group during the 1970s and 1980s, responded to these charges by
stating that he represents a number of clients in Peru in business
related to the capital markets, but that he has not been involved in
any arms deals with Peru.
"Another Israeli businessman, by the name of Roni Lerner, was the
intermediary in the deal in which three MiG-29 aircraft were
purchased in Russia in 1998 for the Peruvian army," Ugaz added. "The
illegal commissions paid to Lerner and Montesinos under this deal
were deposited in the accounts Mincher opened for Montesinos in
Switzerland," the special prosecutor said.
Lerner told Ha'aretz that, "I do not have any connection to the
sale of MiG aircraft to Peru. I don't know Vladimoros Montesinos and
never met with him." He added that, "It was obvious that my name
would come up, but it's a case of an unfortunate coincidence. I have
no control over what is happening in Peru today. A witch-hunt is
going on there."
The investigation is now also focusing on whether Montesinos
deposited money in banks in Israel, in addition to their branches in
Switzerland. "I still don't know the answer to this question," Ugaz
said, "but I suspect that Montesinos indeed deposited funds in
Israel." He explained that he bases this supposition on the fact that
the investigation has revealed, "the very closest of ties between
Montesinos and Israelis."
Former president Fujimori left Peru in November and is living in
Japan, but the whereabouts of Montesinos is unknown, following his
abortive attempt to win political asylum in Panama in late
October.
A videotape showing Montesinos apparently offering a bribe to a
Peruvian lawmaker set off the series of events that led to Fujimori's
political demise. Montesinos, who exerted extensive control over
Peru's military and judiciary, has been accused of ordering death
squads to kill suspected leftist guerrillas.
