Sammy Ofer, Israeli tycoon suspected of alleged dealings with Iran found dead at 89 in his apartment in Tel Aviv.

Sammy ( Sami ) Ofer, an Israeli businessman, an active figure in shipping industry, whose company has come under fire in recent weeks for alleged dealings with Iran, found dead late Thursday night in his Tel Aviv home at the age of 89. Sammy Ofer was struggling a long battle with unknown illness. The exact cause of death is still unknown. The police doesn’t exclude the possibilty of murder. The date and time of his funeral are yet to be announced.

Sammy Ofer was on US Black List due allegations of Iran dealings

The Ofer Brothers Group is currently under investigation for allegedly docking ships under their ownership in Iran after the Israeli company was recently named in a U.S. State Department report for commercial dealings with Iranian shipping interests. On Sunday, it was made public that at least seven oil-tankers belonging to Tanker Pacific, owned by the Ofer Brothers, have docked in Iran between 2004 and 2007.

Later, it was revealed that an eighth vessel owned by Zodiac – another of Ofer’s companys, also had ties with Iran.

The revelation stirred controversy and sparked a debate in Israel about Israel’s somewhat lax laws regarding trade with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went on record as saying that “Israel’s policy on Iran is very clear – any and all contact with it is forbidden.”

American blogger Richard Silverstein took things a step further, claiming that ships owned by the Ofer Brothers Group docked in several Iranian ports dozens of times over the past few years, allowing Mossad agents to enter the Islamic Republic to carry out secret operations.

Sammy Ofer is involved in the privatization moves of Turkey’s AKP government

Sammy Ofer also was the pratogonist in one of the biggest privatization scandals revealed in Turkey. The ruling AKP government sold 14.76 % of Tüpraş stocks, Turkey’s largest industrial enterprise, operating four oil refineries, with a total of 28.1 million tons annual crude oil processing capacity, to Sammy Ofer without making the deal public. After the initial privatization was complete the stocks increased in value and Sammy Ofer tripled his profit in the investment.

 

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