Nahum Manbar (Hebrew: נחום מנבר) is an Israeli businessman who was involved in arms trade with Iran.
He was convicted in series of crimes against Israel's national security and served 14.5 years in prison, prior to his release in October 2011.
In 1984 he fled to the United Kingdom after being indicted for fraud, imposture, and theft, and was declared by Israel to be a fugitive from justice.
He then began selling produce at the Covent Garden market in London, but soon left Britain and entered the arms trade.
During his career as an arms trader, he lived in France and Switzerland before settling in Poland and setting up his headquarters in Warsaw.
[3] A deal was signed between Manbar's Mana Investments International company and Iran's section 105B, represented by Abasbur.
[2] Between 1992 and 1993, Manbar provided Iran with ingredients needed to make chemical weapons, equipment and expertise, and was paid $16 million by 1994 after providing elements of mustard gas and three types of nerve gas: Tabun, Sarin and Soman, and set up a plant in Poland to manufacture chemical weaponry for Iran.
The indictment stated that he had not reported to Israeli intelligence about his contacts until August 1992, despite several meetings with members of the security forces.
Mossad officials managed to persuade a Polish businessman who served as his right-hand man to agree to testify against him.
On March 27, 1997, Manbar arrived in Israel to watch Hapoel Jerusalem compete for the State Cup.
His defense was based on the case that he did not act alone, and that Israeli businessmen were being allowed to sell weapons to Iran by the security authorities.
[12] Ex-Mossad agent Victor Ostrovsky pointed out that Manbar was given a small pool of lawyers to choose from and that the trial was conducted behind closed doors.
[13] Others also considered it a link in a chain of shady deals between Israel and Iran that goes back to the Iran–Contra affair, and that he had taken the fall for the Israeli military and security industry.
Francine gave the Mossad information on her previous husband's dealings with the Condor Argentine Missile Program before her marriage.