Bribery alleged in Israeli ministry

TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Six officials in Israel's Defense Ministry have admitted to police they accepted bribes from contractors, but deny the gifts affected how tenders were won.

Three ministry managers and three inspectors told a joint ministry and Police International Crime Unit investigators they had accepted gifts of expensive restaurant outings and home renovation work, but said they were only part of a "friendly exchange," and did not influence the awarding of contracts, Haaretz reported.

None of the six is involved directly with awarding ministry contracts, investigators said.

The newspaper said at least three contractors who deal with the ministry had been questioned, but it would depend on the Tel Aviv district attorney to decide whether to lay charges.