At the end of 2015, cranes at a port in Jacksonville, Florida, lifted U.S. military helicopters worth up to $40 million each onto a massive cargo ship headed to deliver equipment to the Egyptian government.
Introduction to Wael Hana
The Egyptian Ministry of Defense had enlisted an extraordinary person to help arrange the transport of this valuable equipment: Wael Hana, an Egyptian-American businessman who had previously run a trucking company, a gas station, and a truck stop along a dusty industrial road in North Jersey.
The Relationship between Hana and the Egyptian Government
Eight years later, under the bright lights, Hana’s relationship with the Egyptian government is under scrutiny. After a years-long investigation, U.S. authorities charged him in September with paying bribes to Senator Bob Menendez and his wife Nadine Menendez in exchange for actions beneficial to Egypt, including Menendez’s promise to aid in the continued flow of military aid to the North African country.
Hana’s Connections to the Egyptian Government
A study conducted by The Washington Post, based on records and interviews with several people who know Hana or have worked with him, indicated that his ties to the Egyptian government date back further and are more extensive than previously reported. These relationships help explain how Hana was able to exploit his connection with Menendez, who was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, when they met years after the helicopter shipment and formed a partnership that quickly became advantageous for both parties.
Hana’s Expanding Influence
In the years following the helicopter shipment, Egyptian authorities trusted Hana with more responsibility and power, impacting his wealth to the extent that business partners and government officials around the world found it challenging to understand the opaque arrangements.
Resorting to Bribery
In 2019, after Hana began assisting Menendez in getting to know Egyptian government officials, Egypt granted a lucrative monopoly to one of the companies that Hana had established, suddenly making him a player in international trade.
The Opaque Monopoly
The company was given exclusive responsibility to verify that halal meat exported to Egypt was processed according to Islamic law, which caused discontent in the global meat industry. Prosecutors claim the company was used to funnel bribes to Menendez and his wife.
The American Investigation
In addition to the criminal charges, U.S. authorities are examining Hana’s background as part of a counterintelligence investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. Federal investigators are working to understand the intricate nature of the relationship between Hana and Egyptian government officials, including intelligence officers, and the historical scope of those relationships.
Hana’s Denial of Charges
Hana has denied the charges against him and declared his innocence. His lawyer stated that Hana’s background is a classic immigrant story, arriving in the United States through the lottery system in 2006 and becoming a businessman building several companies, and that he has always acted with integrity and legality.
Trial
Menendez and his wife also appeared in court to respond to federal charges that they acted as foreign agents and accepted bribes from Hana and two other businessmen from New Jersey.
Response from the Egyptian Embassy
The Egyptian embassy and the Department of Defense office in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.
Hana’s Journey from a Down-and-Out Businessman to a Central Figure in an International Scandal
The study also revealed how Hana rose from being a down-and-out businessman in New Jersey to becoming a central figure in an international scandal that led to strong accusations against an American politician and shocked the diplomatic world.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/11/27/bob-menendez-wael-hana-egypt/
.lwrp .lwrp-title{
}.lwrp .lwrp-description{
}
.lwrp .lwrp-list-container{
}
.lwrp .lwrp-list-multi-container{
display: flex;
}
.lwrp .lwrp-list-double{
width: 48%;
}
.lwrp .lwrp-list-triple{
width: 32%;
}
.lwrp .lwrp-list-row-container{
display: flex;
justify-content: space-between;
}
.lwrp .lwrp-list-row-container .lwrp-list-item{
width: calc(12% – 20px);
}
.lwrp .lwrp-list-item:not(.lwrp-no-posts-message-item){
}
.lwrp .lwrp-list-item img{
max-width: 100%;
height: auto;
object-fit: cover;
aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
}
.lwrp .lwrp-list-item.lwrp-empty-list-item{
background: initial !important;
}
.lwrp .lwrp-list-item .lwrp-list-link .lwrp-list-link-title-text,
.lwrp .lwrp-list-item .lwrp-list-no-posts-message{
}@media screen and (max-width: 480px) {
.lwrp.link-whisper-related-posts{
}
.lwrp .lwrp-title{
}.lwrp .lwrp-description{
}
.lwrp .lwrp-list-multi-container{
flex-direction: column;
}
.lwrp .lwrp-list-multi-container ul.lwrp-list{
margin-top: 0px;
margin-bottom: 0px;
padding-top: 0px;
padding-bottom: 0px;
}
.lwrp .lwrp-list-double,
.lwrp .lwrp-list-triple{
width: 100%;
}
.lwrp .lwrp-list-row-container{
justify-content: initial;
flex-direction: column;
}
.lwrp .lwrp-list-row-container .lwrp-list-item{
width: 100%;
}
.lwrp .lwrp-list-item:not(.lwrp-no-posts-message-item){
}
.lwrp .lwrp-list-item .lwrp-list-link .lwrp-list-link-title-text,
.lwrp .lwrp-list-item .lwrp-list-no-posts-message{
};
}
Leave a Reply