Tel Aviv Psychologist Charged with 131 Unqualified Assessments, Forging Signatures

A 73-year-old man from Tel Aviv, identified as Yosef Henanel, is facing charges for allegedly conducting 131 psychological assessments without proper qualifications. Henanel, who is registered as a psychologist but not as a specialist, is accused of forging the signatures of qualified specialists, defrauding clients, and committing tax offenses. According to the indictment filed in Jerusalem's Magistrate Court, Henanel presented himself to patients, parents, and authorities as qualified to perform these assessments, despite lacking the necessary specialist credentials and not being in an active training program.

In some instances, Henanel submitted assessments for review and signature by legitimate specialists, even though he was not authorized to perform them. In other cases, he allegedly forged the signatures of these specialists without their knowledge after completing his work with them, creating the impression that the assessments had been properly reviewed and approved. The indictment details 72 counts of signature forgery and 131 instances of signing assessments without authority.

The assessments were provided to parents, diagnostic centers, and educational institutions, and were submitted to the Ministry of Education to secure educational accommodations and financial aid for students. Henanel reportedly charged approximately NIS 2,000 for each assessment. Based on these fraudulent assessments, the Ministry of Education allocated approximately NIS 12.5 million in aid to the educational institutions attended by the students.

Furthermore, between 2012 and 2021, Henanel is accused of failing to report approximately NIS 1.55 million in income to the Tax Authority. This included submitting tax returns declaring no income while receiving earnings from both employment and self-employment, and neglecting to maintain proper accounting records. The charges against him include document forgery with intent to defraud, using forged documents, obtaining benefits by fraud, violations of the Psychologists Law, intentional income omission, presenting false documents to avoid tax deductions, and general fraud and deceit.