Firm fined for deal with Guinean junta

Israel has fined an Israeli security consulting firm for negotiating a deal to provide arms and military training to Guinea’s military junta without the state’s prior approval, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.

The spokesman, Shlomo Dror, said the ministry fined Global CST for dealing with the West African nation’s military government last year. He would not disclose the sum of the fine but said Israel intervened before any deal was concluded.

Global CST said it was not fined, but was instead ordered to spend the money to tighten its oversight procedures to avoid similar “errors” in the future. The company says it has already implemented the changes but declined to elaborate.

Global CST is run by Yisrael Ziv, a retired Israeli general whose career included commanding the Gaza Strip area and heading the military’s powerful operations branch. — ap