Arms Trade Corruption Tracker exposes NATO’s ‘highest-profile corruption scandal’

Arms Trade Corruption Tracker (ATCT) have exposed reported Elbit contract suspensions at the behest of NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). In a decision taken last year, the NSPA took action to suspend over a dozen contracts linked to the Israeli arms company after anti-corruption investigations involving former NSPA staff.

They add that:

not all investigations appear to link directly to Elbit but details are still emerging.

ATCT further added, in a ‘spicy detail’, that the US had coincidentally dropped its investigation into some of those implicated. This came two weeks after a meeting between US President Trump and Turkish President Erdogan. Funnily enough, one of the investigations dropped refers to a Turkish officer formerly employed by NSPA.

Once again, the right-wing US President appears to be choosing to cover up corruption, as opposed to trying to tackle it.

#UnravellingTuesday: Israeli arms giant Elbit Systems faced reported contract suspensions from NATO's Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) in relation to several anti corruption investigations involving former NSPA staff. New case link below. pic.twitter.com/W67cfTcTJt

— Corruption Tracker (@ArmsTradeCT) February 17, 2026

Elbit — NATO’s ‘highest-profile corruption scandal’

ATCT reported that the contracts were suspended by NATO in July 2025 following four investigations into possible corruption. These investigations involved eleven suspects and stated that ‘not all cases appear to directly involve Elbit’. They further stated that the evidence of corruption gathered represents:

the highest-profile corruption scandal the Alliance [NATO] had faced since its founding.

The Corruption Tracker website has published a detailed timeline outlining the countries, weapons, and equipment linked to the suspended contracts. The investigations implicate arms sellers, naming Israel’s Elbit Systems and its subsidiary Orion Advanced Systems, as well as Global Defence Logistics (GDL) and an unnamed Italian company. The contracts reportedly involve officials in Israel, Italy, Turkey, Romania, and Luxembourg, who appear positioned to benefit financially.

ATCT stated:

Authorities from the US, Romania, Belgium and the Netherlands had been investigating eleven suspects accused of bribery, accepting bribes, money laundering and illegal kickbacks, tied to military procurement contracts awarded between 2015 to 2024.

A wave of arrests followed across Spain, Romania, Belgium and the Netherlands. Yet despite the scale of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges, the consequences proved remarkably limited. None of the detainees served more than six months in prison. Most were released under conditional liberty, while others ultimately saw the charges against them dropped altogether.

Referring to the meeting between Trump and Erdogan, and subsequent shady actions taken, ATCT added:

The case took a dramatic turn in early July 2025. Just two weeks after the US and Turkish presidents met on 25 June 2025 at the Hague NATO Summit – and only two days before the extradition of suspects was due to take place – the US abruptly withdrew all charges. Those cleared included Manousos Bailakis and Ioannis Gelasakis, accused of bribing a NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) official, as well as Scott Everett Willason alleged to have paid bribes, and Ismaïl Terlemez, accused of accepting them in order to steer NATO procurement decisions in favour of Willason’s client portfolio.

Suggesting internal whistleblowers are facing typical abuse and negative consequences as a result of raising concerns about internal corruption, they added:

The fallout did not stop with the suspects. Inside the alliance, senior officials began raising alarms of their own. The NSPA’s Director of Human Resources and its Chief Audit Executive and Head of Investigations flagged internal corruption and wrongdoing within NATO’s structures. Their interventions came at a cost: both saw their positions either suspended or left unrenewed.

Whilst the US step away, the rest of us must step up

The US and its “diplomatic might” sit under the control of a shameless, unrestrained leader who has made clear he will pursue financial gain at any cost. However, the ATCT point out that the US shows precious little concern for corruption. Instead, Trump seems happy for it to continue, leaving smaller countries in the alliance with the huge responsibility of exposing such a sinister web of corruption.

They added:

With Washington stepping away from the case, responsibility for its resolution now rests with Dutch, Belgian and Romanian authorities, who continue to handle the remaining proceedings. Questions remain about accountability at the highest levels of the alliance.

Since the deliverables under these contracts lead to the mutilation, trauma, and deaths of innocent civilians, conducting this investigation is essential in the interest of humanity.

Arms trade corruption investigator Andrew Feinstein spoke to the Canary about the clear corruption within the report from ATCT, stating emphatically:

Elbit is one of the deadliest company’s on the planet. It is central to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Israel is both a materially & morally corrupt country.

This is seen most explicitly in its defence sector of which Elbit is a leading part. The company is the corrupt fulcrum at the heart of this murderous country.

Powerful elite might delay justice, but they cannot prevent it indefinitely

We have to face it: the US has abandoned justice and fully descended into a dog-eat-dog mentality where the richest and strongest are always right. Even though they’re so evidently and deplorably wrong.

These findings support yet another call for the UK to disentangle itself from US-led foreign policy rather than risk being dragged into its consequences. The powerful may delay justice, but they cannot prevent it indefinitely. After all, history books will not look kindly on those who permit corruption. Particularly when its consequences include civilian deaths in Gaza and throughout the Global South and Middle East.

We must demand that our government suspend all contracts with Elbit Systems now. Citizens must insist on a thorough and independent investigation into the relationship between Elbit and government officials. There are already serious concerns already raised about transparency and political conduct under the government of Keir Starmer, specifically in relation to Israel.

Therefore, there is ample reason to insist on scrutiny here at home as well.

You can read the Corruption Tracker’s full investigation and findings here.

Featured image via Twitter