Raed Arafat is officially under investigation by the Military Prosecutor’s Office and is a suspect in a smuggling case involving the transfer of a SMURD helicopter from the United Kingdom in 2017.
The head of DSU was at the Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday morning, where he was informed of the accusations and requested time to study the case.
According to information in the public domain, the case concerns the non-payment of VAT, estimated at around 1 million euros, regarding the aircraft received as compensation after an accident. Although Arafat was not directly involved in the transfer, prosecutors suspect him of complicity, believing that he was aware of the procedure.
At the same time, Arafat denies the accusations and claims that there is no evidence against him, speaking of a smear campaign. He states that „no concrete elements indicating the existence of criminal acts have been presented” and that his inclusion in the investigation is „forced and artificial.”
Separately, the Military Prosecutor’s Office is also working on another case, in the in rem phase, regarding alleged fictitious hirings at DSU. The two investigations are unrelated.
„Forced and Artificial Association”
Arafat argues in a Facebook post that his inclusion in these investigations is unjustified and speaks of an attempt to link him to actions without real involvement. He states that it is about „a forced and artificial association, by enunciating alleged complicity or coordination theses of activities, in the absence of any real contribution or involvement.”
The head of DSU believes that these accusations directly affect his reputation and suggests that the purpose is to compromise his public image.
In his message, Arafat goes further and claims that the investigations go beyond the strictly legal framework. He says that „it is becoming increasingly clear that these actions exceed the strictly legal framework, outlining the characteristics of a smear campaign.”
According to him, there are „indications that these efforts are fueled not only by exclusively institutional considerations, but also by personal factors,” which questions the impartiality of the procedures.
These actions may not only have a personal impact, but could also affect the entire emergency response system.
He argues that „any unjustified damage to his credibility” can have effects on public trust in institutions.
In a field where „trust, coordination, and professional authority are essential,” such situations can also influence the safety of citizens, says the head of DSU.