BE'ER YA'ACOV — State prosecutors indicted Be'er Ya'acov deputy council head Noam Sasson and six other defendants on Sunday, June 28, 2026. The indictment charges Sasson with three counts of fraud and breach of trust, aggravated fraud, making a false sworn statement, threats, and witness harassment.

The other defendants include Giora Shabtai, contractor Erez Medina, Oshri Farhan, transportation contractor Eliyahu Dawan, and two companies. These defendants face charges including aggravated fraud, offenses involving bribery and mediation, false corporate records, money laundering, and tax offenses.

Sasson served as a salaried deputy head of the Be'er Ya'acov Local Council beginning in June 2019. He held the engineering portfolio, was chairman of the tenders committee, and was responsible for the local community center. The first count of the indictment concerns summer renovation work at municipal educational institutions in 2019. Prosecutors alleged that Sasson acted in a conflict of interest to promote the economic interests of Giora Shabtai.

Shabtai and Erez Medina allegedly arranged to carry out the renovation work themselves, using another company as a purported subcontractor, to retain the profits. The indictment states that Shabtai pressed Sasson to ensure the council would not issue a separate public tender and would approve the engagement. Prosecutors alleged Sasson knew Shabtai would be involved and would benefit financially, but still intervened with municipal officials to advance work orders, approvals, and payments. The council ultimately transferred more than NIS 1.4 million for the work, with NIS 917,706 subsequently transferred through the purported subcontractor. About NIS 450,000 was allegedly passed secretly to Shabtai and Medina.

A separate count in the indictment concerns roof-sealing work at three Be'er Ya'acov kindergartens in early 2020. According to prosecutors, Sasson obtained competing price quotes from an engineering department employee, including the lowest offer of NIS 31,000. He passed these details to Sagi Bergig, who allegedly arranged for a contractor to submit a NIS 30,500 bid shortly before the council's procurement committee convened. The contractor was selected after offering the lowest price.

The largest alleged scheme in the indictment involves a three-year transportation tender concerning Eliyahu Dawan and his company. The indictment states that Sasson and Dawan were close friends and business partners who jointly held interests in a plot of land in Be'er Ya'acov. The Justice Ministry's conflict-of-interest committee determined Dawan's transportation company could not participate in the council tender due to Sasson's relationship with Dawan.

Prosecutors alleged that Sasson and Dawan formally dissolved their partnership through a share sale but continued to act as business partners in relation to the original plot and another property. The indictment alleges Sasson signed an affidavit declaring he had no business relationship with Dawan, which allowed the council to approve the company's participation in the tender. According to the indictment, Dawan's company received NIS 20.2 million from the council through MASHKAL between 2020 and 2022. Sasson and Dawan are charged with aggravated fraud and breach of trust in the transportation tender count, and Sasson is additionally charged with making a false sworn statement. Dawan and his company are charged with money laundering offenses in this count.

The indictment alleges Sasson confronted the council's municipal engineer while the police investigation was ongoing, shouting at her over her testimony and threatening to have her removed from her position. The prosecution has requested the forfeiture of assets upon conviction, including funds and property connected to several defendants.