Case File

NATO Probe and Elbit Suspension

Author
Carla Martínez
Published on
February 17, 2026

Contents

Contents

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Introduction

Introduction

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In July 2025, NATO was forced into the most serious corruption scandal in its history, when it announced the suspension of 15 contracts, 13 linked to Israeli arms giant Elbit Systems, alongside two additional contracts held by its subsidiary Orion Advanced Systems. Not all corruption investigations are related directly to Elbit Systems, although details are still emerging as of February 2026.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Case Details

Case details

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Seller country
Israel, Italy, Turkey, Romania, Luxembourg
Seller company
Elbit Systems, Orion Advanced Systems, Unknown Italian Company, Global Defence Logistics (GDL)
Buyer country
NATO
Buyer company
NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA)
Goods category
Upgrades, Components, Ammunition, Helicopters
Equipment sold
aerial fuzes and fuze bombs, aircraft flare, 155mm shells, mid-life upgrade programme for the Portuguese navy's offshore patrol vessels, unmanned systems, fuel, helicopters, ammunition and explosives.
Deal value
15 contracts worth over USD $100 million (2025), further USD 486 million contract on fuel (2024), unspecified amount for a TNT contract.
Sum involved in corruption
At least €3,059,828 ($3,494,324 at 2020 exchange rate)
Start year
2015
Outcome status
Deal Ongoing, Legal Investigation Ongoing, Legal Investigation Closed - No Outcome

Actors

Actors

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  • NSPA - NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA); founded in 1958; former ammunition team employees from 2015-2025 are suspected of corruption; headquartered in Capellen, Luxembourg.

  • Guy Moeraert - Former Belgian soldier; former Ammunition Technician at the NSPA (2014-2021); left the agency in 2021 to join Alrescha Sp z.o.o - founded by his former boss at the NSPA, Scott Willason - but allegedly resigned later on to launch his own firm Guynius Consult based in Belgium; investigated for possibly acting as an independent consultant for arms consultant Eluasvili helping to secure NATO contracts for Elbit Systems; accused of money laundering and being part of a criminal organisation illegally profiting from $2.1 million linked to drone, ammunition and aircraft equipment purchases benefiting Elbit Systems while working in NATO’s ammunition procurement programme; Owned a company with Dutch businessman Ivo E. and Tilbert S.

  • Scott Everett Willason - Former head of the NSPA ammunition team until 2018; later built a network of defence consulting companies; accused of being the middle man who channeled alleged bribes from his clients, to his friend and former NSPA colleague, Terlemez.

  • Scott Willason Consulting - Consultancy firm set up by Willason; founded in 2018; allegedly used as a kickbacks scheme; headquartered in Luxembourg.

  • Alrescha Sp. z o.o. - Consultancy firm set up by Willason; founded in 2019; allegedly used as a kickbacks scheme; headquartered in Poland.

  • Ismaïl Terlemez - Former Turkish military officer; former Technical Officer at NSPA (2019-2020) ; after leaving public service, he founded ARCA Defense, which by 2025 had become Turkey’s second-largest arms company; accused of accepting bribes to manipulate procurement in favour of Willason’s clients; all charges withdrawn by the US; close sources to the case assure Terlemez introduced Guy Moeraert to Eliau Eluasvili.

  • ARCA Defense - Turkish arms company; founded in 2020 by Terlemez; in 2023, Terlemez sold a quarter of his shares to ex-MP Savaş Balcık; headquartered in Ankara, Türkiye.

  • Eliau Eluasvili - Owns and directs several arms consultancy firms, including Elar Systems Corp in the US, Eral Systems UAB in Lithuania and Arelco Europe Management Consultancies in Greece; wanted under an Interpol international arrest warrant since September 2025; suspected of sharing confidential information with Elbit Systems, engaging in active corruption and participating in a criminal organisation.

  • Manousos Bailakis - Director of operations for the Romanian company Global Defence Logistics (GDL); suspected of paying bribes to an NSPA official to secure contracts worth USD 486 million; cleared of charges by a US District Court in Northern Illinois.

  • Ioannis Gelasakis - Executive and shareholder of Global Defence Logistics (GDL); suspected of paying bribes to an NSPA official to secure contracts worth USD 486 million; cleared of all charges by a US District Court in Northern Illinois.

  • Global Defence Logistics (GDL) - Romanian arms company; founded in 2013; provides services for ships and aircraft; the company states Bailakis and Gelaskis have not been involved since February 2025; headquartered in Constanța, Romania.

  • Tom Van Beneden - Belgian national who formerly served as a soldier; working at NSPA; extradited from Spain in June 2025 and placed under house arrest due to suspicion of belonging to a criminal organisation linked to corruption inside the agency.

  • Ivo E. - Dutch businessman; suspected of corruption alongside Dutch official Hans D. J. ; spent four weeks in jail before being conditionally released. Had a company with Guy Moeraert and Tilbert S.

  • Hans D. J. - Oversaw ammunition procurement for the Dutch Ministry of Defence until August 2024; accused of accepting bribes in 2023 in collaboration with partners inside and outside the Netherlands.

  • Tilbert S. - Dutch businessman, suspected of corruption alongside Dutch official Hans D. J.; spent four weeks in jail before being conditionally released. Had a company with Guy Moeraert and Ivo E.

  • Stacy Cumming - NSPA's US General Manager (2021-); curtailed anti-corruption efforts in the agency’s internal audits.

  • Genevive Machin - former NSPA’s Director of Human Resources (2022-2025); suspended after sending an internal letter flagging wrongdoing and internal pressure from Cumming.

  • Gerardo Bellantone - NSPA’s Chief Audit Executive (2017-2022) and now Head Internal Audit and of Investigations (2022-); proposed an audit of the agency’s anti-fraud and anti-corruption framework; his position was not renewed.

  • Elbit Systems - Israeli arms company; founded in 1966; had thirteen NATO contracts suspended in 2025 over alleged corruption involving NSPA officials; headquartered in Haifa, Israel.

  • Orion Advanced Systems - Subsidiary of Elbit since its acquisition in 2015; founded in 2009; had two NATO contracts suspended in 2025 over its relation to Elbit Systems; headquartered in Yavne, Israel.

Timeline

Timeline

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2018
  • Scott Willason resigned from NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) and set up different consultancy firms, including Willason Defence Consultancy Sàrl, based in Luxembourg and Alrescha Sp. z o.o., based in Poland.
2019
  • 16 JanWillason allegedly signed a deal with one Italian client where at least €500,000 in fees would be transferred to his Luxembourgish consultancy company for each purchase order granted under any NSPA TNT explosive contract.
  • 25 MarIsmaïl Terlemez and another technical officer at NSPA approved Willason’s client and declared its competitors as technically non-compliant with the request for Proposal.
  • 26 MarTerlemez wrote to US army officials the price Willason’s client proposed for the TNT requirement.
  • 11 AugFirst of eleven payments from Willason Defence Consultancy Sàrl to Terlemez are made. In a period of ten months, Telemez allegedly accepted bribes of a total of €115,896,74.
  • 6 NovWillason’s consultancy firm received a total of €1,029,828 in five payments from his Italian client for the TNT requirement, Willason transferred over €179,000 in five movements to his personal bank account.
2020
  • 30 JanTerlemez during an official NSPA trip to Riga, Latvia, met with Juris Ozols, at that time, CEO of the Latvian arms firm Vairog EU (now called Ammunity).
  • 10 FebTerlemez met again with Juris Ozols, this time in Luxembourg. Terlemez insisted Ozols had to meet Willason. One hour after their meeting ended, Willason contacted Ozols and the two men met the same day in another Hotel. Willason allegedly told the CEO that he could raise the prices and still win NSPA contracts.
  • 18 FebWillason sent a draft agreement to Ozols, where Willason’s Polish consultancy firm, Defence Solutions, would be entitled to price increase from Vairog EU. The US indictment later didn’t confirm whether Vairog had accepted the deal.
  • JulTerlemez resigned from the NSPA.
  • AugTerlemez founded ARCA Defense.
  • 15 SepLast of eleven payments made by Willason’s Luxembourgish firm, Willason Defence Consultancy Sàrl, is allegedly accepted by Telemez. The total amount was at least €115,896,74.
2021
2022
  • 21 SepMoeraert established his own consultancy firm in Belgium alongside his spouse.
2023
  • Hans D. J. alongside partners inside and outside the Netherlands suspected of accepting bribes to favour clients in awarding military contracts.
2024
  • AugHans D. J position directing ammunition purchases for the Dutch defence ministry terminated.
2025
  • 31 JulThe NSPA suspended 15 contracts due to suspected fraudulent activities, 13 were awarded to Elbit Systems and two contracts with its subsidiary Orion Advanced Systems, on suspicions that former and current NSPA employees accepted kickbacks or used insider information to help secure lucrative contracts, in exchange for payments. The suspended contracts involve supplies such as aerial fuzes, fuze bombs, aircraft flares, 155 mm shells, and other ammunition for NATO forces. One of the contracts on the list was the mid-life upgrade programme for the Portuguese navy's offshore patrol vessels with a total budget of €100 million for the period 2016-2024, part of which NATO awarded to Elbit. Belgian investigators suspect that over a period of several years, Eluasvili enabled Elbit Systems to secure numerous contracts, the terms of which were manipulated.

Outcomes

Investigation Outcomes

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2025
  • 21 FebBailakis was arrested in Bucharest.
  • 21 FebGenevive Machin, the HR Director of the NSPA, sent a letter detailing how the NSPA's General Manager, Stacy Cummings, was ignoring cases with strong signs of fraud, while also denounced Cummings for asking her to alter documents relating to new senior appointments.
  • 22 FebThe Romanian Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Service, DNA files a case against Bailakis and Gelasakis for allegedly repeated crimes of bribery through Global Defense Logistics SRL. The contract for which bribes were allegedly committed is listed to be worth over €9,000,000 for the fuel supply of ships. In the following US Indictment on 25th March, the same contract is listed at a value of €450.000.000 for the supply of fuel.
  • 25 MarUS indictment is filed against Bailakis and Gelasakis, for bribes of at least €130,000 to NSPA officials to win a €450,000,000 contract for the supply of fuel.
  • 17 AprUS indictment is filed against Willason for offering bribes of at least €150,000, and Terlemez for accepting them, and using his position at the NSPA to favour Willason.
  • MayNATO Secretary General Mark Rutte lifted the immunity of Ismail Terlemez, Scott Willason and Guy Moeraert.
  • 12 MayHans D. J., who previously oversaw ammunition purchases for the Dutch Ministry of Defence, was arrested at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands. His partners, Ivo E. and Tilbert S., spent four weeks in custody before being conditionally released. The same day, Guy Moeraert was arrested at Brussels Airport in Belgium, on suspicion of being part of a criminal organisation, corruption and money laundering. The 60-year-old spent about six months in custody before being released with an ankle monitor.
  • 13 MayScott Willason was arrested in Lugano in Switzerland, on accusations of assisting Turkish citizen Ismail Terlemez in a corruption scheme. Terlemez is arrested the same day at Brussels Zaventem Airport. On the same day, Tom Van Beneden is arrested in Spain.
  • 3 JunTom Van Beneden is extradited to Belgium and placed under house arrest.
  • 24 JunNATO summit in The Hague is held on the 24th and 25th of June. On the second day, President Donald Trump and his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a meeting, amongst the agenda were military equipment contracts and energy-sector investments.
  • 9 JulThe US Department of Justice requested the court to dismiss the indictment of Bailakis and Gelasakis, and Willason and Terlemez. Bailakis, Willason and Terlemez, who had been in custody, were released within days just when they were about to be extradited to the US.
  • 30 SepBelgian authorities issue an International Arrest Warrant via Interpol for Eliau Eluasvili who is suspected of acting on behalf of Elbit Systems, suspected of active corruption and participation in a criminal organisation. According to sources cited by the French newsportal La Lettre, Belgian courts are looking to establish whether Moeraert worked for Eluasvili and helped him secure several NATO contracts for Elbit Systems. According to Dutch investigative portal “Follow the Money”, Moeraert and Eluasvili may have been introduced by Termelez.
  • 6 OctGerardo Bellantone, the former Chief Audit Executive and now Head Internal Audit and of Investigations proposed to include an audit of the agency’s anti-fraud and anti-corruption framework in the Autumn 2025 audit plan. In the Internal report, he stated that his contract would not be renewed in September 2026.

References

References

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  • Corruption at NATO: prosecutors probe suspect contracts won by Israeli giant Elbit, La Lettre, 8 December 2025. https://www.lalettre.fr/fr/entreprises_defense-et-aeronautique/2025/12/08/corruption-at-nato-prosecutors-probe-suspect-contracts-won-by-israeli-giant-elbit,110573154-gel

  • District Court, District of Columbia, last updated 25 October 2025. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70530208/united-states-v-bailakis/

  • Elbit System Acquisition of Orion Advanced System, 2015. https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/legalinfo/9873/he/mergers_file_9873.pdf

  • Five things to know about the NATO corruption scandal, Follow the Money, 20 October 2025. https://www.ftm.eu/articles/the-network-behind-the-nato-corruption-scandal?share=CJDw6yzKdQr9XHuJwKS6DtG1wvanfgD0jNOYA%2FxY%2BoUsR%2Fo%2F%2Fpgf%2Fz%2F%2BVSqZrKM%3D

  • IMPARȚIALITATE·INTEGRITATE·EFICIENȚĂ, DIRECȚIA NAȚIONALĂ ANTICORUPȚIE, 22 February 2025. https://www.dna.ro/comunicat.xhtml?id=12820

  • NATO’s procurement chief under fire amid corruption scandal, leak reveals, Follow the Money, 21 November 2025. https://www.ftm.eu/articles/nato-procurement-chief-under-fire-corruption-scandal?share=Xzi4Pj4ruZWxjmUdQdTNfljFQjwjeRpFiLCMOaOZ7jWCTDI3tYfhBxTB2GH4jPY%3D

  • U.S. pulls plug on major NATO corruption probes – top suspects walk free, 20 October 2025. https://www.ftm.eu/articles/us-drops-case-in-nato-corruption-scandal?share=KGskmpx4PHM%2F8wGK84JkeP%2BlQIAXJ3%2BUOjxS9JlmGL03wC1oc8WORLW73Pbc5Xk%3D

  • United States District Court of Colombia, 12 March 2025. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26188642-bailakis-indictment/

  • United States District Court of Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division, 9 July 2025. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26184620-us-gov-motion-to-dismiss-indictment/

  • United States District Court of Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division, 17 April 2025. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26188638-us-indictment-willason-terlemez/

  • Bibliography Stacy A. Cummings, US Former Department of Defense now called Department of War, consulted 2026/2/10 h

  • ttps://www.war.gov/About/Biographies/Biography/Article/2100268/stacy-a-cummings/

  • Israeli Drone Firm Barred from NATO Contracts Amid Corruption Probe, Romania Jounral, 8 December 2025 https://www.romaniajournal.ro/society-people/law-crime/israeli-drone-firm-barred-from-nato-contracts-amid-corruption-probe/

  • Communiqué de presse - Enquête relative à des faits supposés d'appartenance à une organisation criminelle, de corruption active et passive et de blanchiment d’argent, 14 May 2025 https://www.om-mp.be/fr/article/communique-presse-enquete-relative-faits-supposes-dappartenance-organisation-criminelle

  • Scott Willason Consulting, Luxembourg Bussiness Registry 10 February 2026 https://www.lbr.lu/mjrcs-web-front/consult-company/A41613?tab=details

  • Alrescha Limited Company, Polish Bussiness Registry, 10 February 2026 https://wyszukiwarka-krs.ms.gov.pl/dane-szczegolowe-podmiotu;numerKRS=B%2BJbVnE5loMqM6qWvYrC2Q%3D%3D;typ=P

  • Guynius Consult, Belgium Business Registry, 10 February 2026 https://kbopub.economie.fgov.be/kbopub/toonondernemingps.html?ondernemingsnummer=791228604