Siemens warns Crisplant’s complaints came to the knowledge of Siemens top management, and they disturbed Schaefer. This was the period in which the global bribery affair broke, and the world’s press and media gave it broad coverage. In Israel, the press dealt extensively with the turbines bribery affair and the request for Dan Cohen’s extradition.Schaefer visited Israel twice at this time, and, after turning the matter over, Siemens decided to confront Crisplant’s claims. Globes has obtained a letter from Siemens global management to Crisplant, dated February 6, 2009, that says: “It appears that FKI [FKI Crisplant] is now attempting to intimidate the IAA and to disgrace Siemens, the only other candidate, with the hope of drawing the IAA’s attention away from fundamental flaws which we infer from the correspondence were found in FKI’s proposal.“Even if FKI’s intimidation attempt is unsuccessful in ultimately wrongfully securing the contract for itself, FKI’s conduct could harm Siemens and create losses for Siemens and any future damage.”Siemens demanded that Crisplant should withdraw the claims it raised, and said it reserved its rights, implying that it could resort to the courts and claim compensation.
IAA pressures Crisplant The IAA stood behind Schildge and his qualifications, and it rebuked Crisplant for “groundless claims” about the propriety of the tender. Matters did not end there. In a strange move, it presented Crisplant with an ultimatum that, within three days, it had to state in writing that it had no claims whatsoever concerning the conduct of the project at Terminal 3.The ultimatum apparently partly broke the Danish company. At the end of February 2009, Crisplant announced that it was sending the technical data required for it to continue in the tender, and that it was removing its objection to Schildge dealing with the matter.Several more weeks went by, and in May 2009, the IAA informed Crisplant that it was excluded from the tender. The grounds given were that Crisplant was late in submitting those technical clarifications. The financial bid envelope was returned to the company sealed. Siemens was left as the sole bidder in the tender.In July 2009, the IAA decided to contract with Siemens, under an exemption from the tender process, to set up the inspection system within four years, plus another 10 years for the supply of spare parts and technical-support services. The price: NIS 150m.The tender exemption became necessary, according to the IAA, “after a closed tender process that failed.”In addition to the behavior surrounding the tender described above, Globes has obtained further information that is revealed here for the first time. Klaus Schildge, the consultant to the project, has a history of work for Siemens, including during the period when he was employed by the IAA on the HBS tender that Siemens won. That bolsters Crisplant’s claim that Schildge was doing Siemens’s bidding.A strange apologyThe strangest twist in the HBS tender affair came shortly after Siemens was awarded the project. A private German company called Beumer acquired control of Crisplant. In February 2010, Beumer made an interesting appointment to the post of CEO of Crisplant on its behalf. The new CEO was none other than Klaus Schaefer, the very same Siemens executive who was responsible for that company’s bid in the Terminal 3 tender.A few weeks after he was appointed, Schaefer sent an amazing letter to the IAA. It was a letter of apology on Crisplant’s behalf, in which, “due to management changes,” Crisplant apologized for the claims raised against Schildge and Siemens.“We like to point out,” wrote Schaefer, “that Crisplant a/s was wrong in their statements that the tender was issued in favour of other competitors and Crisplant a/s did not have any disadvantage in the tender process. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by Crisplant a/s again.”Schaefer said in response that “the message was sent to the IAA before his appointment as Crisplant CEO was made.”Meanwhile, the work under Terminal 3 continues apace. Within a few months, the system will start to operate, and the lines at the entrance for the security check will perhaps shorten a little. It’s a pity, said one source from the sector, that the conduct of the tender could not be screened in a similar machine.
‘We didn’t know about Schildge’ The IAA’s response about its relationship with Schildge: “Klaus Schildge is an internationally renowned expert on passenger baggage handling. In the light of his international expertise and his experience as a consultant on setting up the baggage-handling system at Ben-Gurion Airport, he was chosen as engineering consultant of the HBS project, to liaise between Siemens, which is responsible for the baggage-handling system, and the company responsible for the security aspect.“CASE, which Schildge owns, was selected to manage the project, which is worth some NIS 300 million. The consultancy fee for the company, which employs additional people besides Herr Schildge, is estimated at NIS 10 million.“In the course of constructing Terminal 3, the IAA hired a company with knowledge and expertise in baggage handling, Logplan of Germany. As part of the work of the above-mentioned consultancy company, Herr Schildge was employed as a consultant by Logplan. On August 11, 2004, the chief engineer for mechanical systems at the IAA approached then-CEO Gabi Ofir with a request to enter into a contract with Herr Schildge’s company. His request was based on the fact that there is no expert in Israel with professional knowledge of airport baggage-handling systems. CASE was found to be worthy company, with the capability of carrying out the work.”The IAA’s response about Schildge’s work with Siemens and Crisplant’s complaints: “Schildge reported that he had worked in the past with Siemens, after Siemens won the HBS project. The report was examined by the project manager and legal counsel. As mentioned, the IAA became aware of the service Schildge had provided to Siemens after Siemens was awarded the work. At that time, Schildge was not employed by Siemens. Schildge had also, in the past, provided consultancy services to FKI, the other bidder.“Crisplant’s complaint was examined by the IAA’s legal counsel, the chief engineer for mechanical systems, and an additional team appointed by the CEO. It was found that Herr Schildge had no conflict of interests and was not among those who made the decision on the winning company.“Herr Schildge, as an international expert with a high reputation in his field, has worked with some of the world’s leading companies, among them Siemens and Crisplant almost at the same time. In 2005, Herr Schildge worked with Siemens on a project at Sidney Airport, and in January 2008 he was a technical mediator in a dispute between Siemens and its customers at Denver Airport.“Similarly, Herr Schildge worked with Crisplant in 2005 on a project for the Swiss postal company. This was part of his work at Logplan. In October 2007, Crisplant asked Schildge to carry out work for it on another project, but, because of lack of time, he was unable to do so.“Herr Schildge did not participate in the discussions in which it was determined that Siemens was the winner of the tender.”
Siemens: Baseless allegations Globes sent a list of questions to Siemens about its ties with Schildge, Crisplant’s claims and whether it had been involved in the acquisition of the Danish company.Siemens said in response: “Siemens unequivocally denies all arguments and allegations made in connection with the IAA HBS project. The allegations are nothing but a repetition of allegations that were raised in the past by interested competitors. These allegations were completely denied by the IAA as well, as it found them to be groundless. Klaus Schildge was never an employee of Siemens, and any concerns as to a potential conflict of interest on his part in connection with Siemens are utterly baseless. Siemens was elected to provide the HBS to the IAA since its proposal was found to be the best.”