Some media reports criticized the Israeli authorities for their investigation. According to the Dutch daily newspaper NRC Handelsblad the Israeli prosecutor does not have any proof that the money for the purchase of Thermphos was Gaydamak's. The Israeli business publication The Marker described the investigation against Gaydamak as politically motivated and wrote that several important witnesses and former shareholders of Thermphos have not been questioned by the prosecutor. The Dutch daily De Telegraaf reported that an Israeli intelligence service tried to prevent the sale of Thermphos to Galmor because of fears that Thermphos might be abused for trading chemical products with Iran. The Dutch Minister of Justice replied to parliamentary questions regarding these allegations on January 27, 2010. He stated that a preliminary investigation produced absolutely no evidence for any criminal offences and that neither Thermphos nor its managers were involved in delivering certain chemicals to Iran. In February 2012, the prosecutor dropped his charges of money laundering to focus on lesser offences.