Deputy Mayor of Be'er Ya'akov Indicted in Major Corruption Case Involving Tender Rigging and Money Laundering

Noam Sasson, the deputy mayor of Be'er Ya'akov in the Shephelah region, has been indicted along with six others in a significant public corruption case. The indictment, filed by the Central District Prosecutor's Office at the Lod District Court, accuses Sasson of manipulating municipal tenders worth millions of shekels, severe conflicts of interest, and money laundering. The charges stem from his tenure as the council member responsible for engineering.

According to the indictment, Sasson exploited his official position to favor associates in awarding contracts, notably collaborating with Giora Shabtai, who fraudulently secured contracts exceeding one million shekels for renovating educational institutions. The case also involves allegations of tax offenses and laundering millions of shekels. Additionally, Sasson is accused of helping a childhood friend win a smaller renovation tender by abusing his public role.

A particularly serious aspect concerns a transportation tender exceeding 20 million shekels, which Sasson allegedly won alongside his business partner and contractor Eliyahu Daouan. They reportedly deceived the Ministry of Justice's Conflict of Interest Committee by formally dissolving their partnership on paper while continuing to operate jointly in practice.

The indictment also reveals aggressive behavior by Sasson during the investigation, including an incident where he reportedly harassed the council’s engineer with shouting and insults due to her police testimony. Sasson faces multiple charges including fraud, breach of trust, aggravated fraud, perjury, threats, and witness harassment. The entire investigation was conducted by the Lahav 433 unit of the Israeli police, with other defendants charged with fraud, bribery mediation, and false corporate documentation.