Arrested former Israeli energy minister, he collaborated with Iranian intelligence

Israel accused Gonen Segev, who was the Jewish State's Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, of committing spying with Iran. According to reports from the Shin Bet National Security Service, Segev was detained last month while on a trip to Equatorial Guinea following a request for arrest by Israeli officials. Extradited to Israel, he was arrested as soon as he arrived in Tel Aviv last month.
In 1992, when he was 35, Segev was elected as one of the youngest members of the Knesset, representing the conservative Tzomet party. Initially a member of the opposition Knesset, Segev left Tzomet and joined a ruling coalition with the Labor Party, in which he served as minister of energy and infrastructure. After leaving politics, Segev became a businessman and often traveled abroad. But in 2004 he was arrested on a flight from Holland, while he was trying to smuggle several thousand ecstasy pills into Israel. He was imprisoned for five years but was released from prison in 2007 after a good behavior award. Shortly after his release, Segev moved to the Nigerian city of Abuja, where he practiced his craft as a doctor. While in Nigera, he was recruited by Iranian intelligence, according to reports from Shin Bet.
In a statement released Monday, the Shin Bet said Segev admitted he was in contact with Iranian intelligence agents in Nigeria and other countries around the world. He allegedly received false documents to travel to Iran and meet with Iranian intelligence officials. He also traveled to many other countries to meet with Iranians and deliver information on the Israeli energy sector and the location of energy-related security sites. Shin Bet's statement added that Segev introduced some Iranian intelligence operatives to other Israeli officials, presenting them as businessmen.
Segev is believed to have appeared before a court in Jerusalem on Friday. He was accused of aiding an enemy in wartime and of carrying out espionage activities against the State of Israel. The judge also charged him with numerous cases of passing classified information to a foreign power.

Arrested former Israeli energy minister, he collaborated with Iranian intelligence

| INTELLIGENCE |