Ex-Ayalon Highways Chairman Investigated for Fraud, Perjury

Idan David, the recently ousted chairman of the state-owned company Netivei Ayalon, is under investigation by the Lahav 433 fraud squad on suspicion of serious offenses including perjury and aggravated document forgery. Investigators are examining whether David systematically misled authorities to secure one of Israel's most influential positions by presenting a false professional background. This criminal probe follows his unprecedented dismissal from all public roles due to severe findings by the Government Companies Authority's appointments committee.

An independent review, led by retired judge Shulamit Dotan, found significant discrepancies between David's claims and reality. He alleged managing around 400 employees and budgets of approximately one billion shekels, whereas in fact, the companies he led had revenues of only 17-20 million shekels and fewer than ten employees. Furthermore, prominent figures whose signatures allegedly appeared on his recommendation letters denied ever signing them, indicating the documents were forged.

In parallel to the criminal investigation, the Ministry of Justice and the Government Companies Authority are preparing a civil lawsuit to recover hundreds of thousands of shekels in salary and benefits David received during his tenure. His dismissal was a two-stage process, first recommended by Dotan's committee and then finalized by the Director General of the Government Companies Authority, Rooie Kahalon, who cited a severe breach of integrity.

David, who was appointed in July 2023 and served for just over a year, reportedly engaged in aggressive attempts to seize internal power at Netivei Ayalon, a company managing multi-billion shekel national infrastructure projects. He allegedly tried to dismiss the company's CEO, Orly Stern, and replace other key professional personnel, actions now being scrutinized by police for potentially consolidating his control over the company's finances.

The affair has caused political embarrassment for senior Likud party officials, as David was considered close to Transportation Minister Miri Regev and Minister Dudi Amsalem, who reportedly championed his appointment despite earlier concerns. Authorities are now investigating whether political pressure and deliberate oversight failures contributed to his hiring, raising fears the investigation may extend beyond David himself.