SAMI OFER, the Israeli tycoon whose company was suspected of having ties to Iran, was found dead in his Tel Aviv apartment yesterday after a long illness.
Mr Ofer (89), was the main shareholder in the Ofer Brothers conglomerate which controlled the Zim shipping company and other concerns, including the Dead Sea Works, oil refineries and a leading Israeli mortgage bank.
He was named by Forbes magazine as the richest person in Israel, with a fortune estimated at more than €14 billion.
Last month the US imposed sanctions on the Ofer Brothers group, claiming a subsidiary of the company sold an oil tanker to Iran. The company denied the allegations. Media reports indicated that at least seven oil tankers owned by the Ofer Brothers had docked in Iran between 2004 and 2007.
The allegations were deeply embarrassing to Israel, as the country had headed the campaign to step up international sanctions on Iran in response to Tehran’s nuclear programme.
US blogger Richard Silverstein claimed that the tankers had carried Mossad agents.
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu expressed sorrow over Mr Ofer’s death, saying he had contributed significantly to Israel’s economy.