NATO official charged in scheme involving U.S. military contracts

A former NATO procurement official and a businessman have been charged in the United States over an alleged bribery scheme tied to U.S. military and NATO construction contracts, according to the Justice Department.

An indictment unsealed Saturday in the District of Columbia, and announced publicly Monday, alleges the scheme spanned several years and corrupted procurement processes linked to U.S. and NATO operations.

Prosecutors said Bahadir Hatipoglu, 50, owned companies that received NATO and U.S. military construction contracts, while Ralf Grywnow, 70, served as a NATO procurement official.

Prosecutors allege Hatipoglu bribed Grywnow through cash payments, a romantic encounter in Dubai, and assistance with constructing and furnishing a house in Poland.

In exchange, Grywnow allegedly provided falsified performance reviews favoring Hatipoglu’s companies, gave preferential treatment in contract oversight, and shared confidential information related to bids for NATO construction projects.

Hatipoglu and Grywnow were arrested in Lithuania and Poland, respectively, under provisional arrest warrants. The Justice Department said it is working with authorities in both countries to extradite the defendants to the United States.

Both men are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted on any count.

“These defendants allegedly engaged in a years-long bribery scheme that tainted construction contracts with the U.S. military and our allies,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.