The Jerusalem District Attorney's Office has filed a serious indictment in the Magistrate's Court against Yosef Hananel (73) of Tel Aviv, alleging a series of fraud, forgery, and significant tax offenses. According to the indictment, filed by Adv. Sarit Reich-Avniel and Adv. Sharon Landau, the defendant acted as a psychologist without the required expertise and issued psychological assessments based on false pretenses. The investigation, conducted jointly by the Jerusalem Police and the Israel Tax Authority, revealed that the defendant performed 131 assessments without the proper professional authorization.
To grant these assessments official validity in educational institutions, it is alleged that Hananel forged the signatures of his colleagues in 72 instances without their knowledge. He charged approximately 2,000 NIS for each assessment. The implications of these actions were profound for the education system. Based on these assessments, the Ministry of Education granted various learning accommodations to students and allocated approximately 12. 5 million NIS in aid.
Beyond fraud and forgery, the indictment includes significant tax charges. It is alleged that between 2012 and 2021, the defendant evaded 1. 55 million NIS in income taxes. The investigation found that Hananel submitted false reports declaring zero income while operating as a self-employed professional without keeping the required accounting books. This case highlights the importance of verifying professional credentials and the state's supervision over submitted documents.
It should be noted that these are allegations yet to be proven in court, and the defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence. The case illustrates the complexity of professional fraud combined with economic offenses and the gravity with which courts view document forgery used to obtain state benefits.