Adviser Guilty in Submarine Bribery Scheme

Israel’s naval procurement scandals continue to produce convictions in the Tel Aviv District Court.

On Monday, the court found Yitzhak (Tzahi) Liber, a communications adviser, guilty of acting as a bribe intermediary in the Submarine Affair.

Judge Dr. Shmuel Melamed determined that Liber received nearly 94,000 new Israeli shekels from businessman Miki Ganor. The money was intended for David Sharan, the former chief of staff to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The verdict covers three specific charges: brokering bribes, money laundering, and assisting in the preparation of false accounting records.

The court concluded that the payments were hidden as fees for consulting services that were never actually rendered.

This case forms part of Case 3000, which involves corruption related to submarine and naval vessel purchases from German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp. Ganor represented the shipbuilder in Israel, while Sharan held senior roles in the Prime Minister’s Office.

The court examined two specific transfers from Ganor’s company. The first was 35,400 shekels sent in November 2014 to a company owned by Liber. The second was 58,500 shekels sent in August 2016 to a company owned by Liber’s business partner.

Liber, a close friend of Sharan, denied wrongdoing throughout the trial. His defense argued that the funds paid for genuine communications and strategic consulting work. They also claimed that a separate small payment to Sharan was merely a thank-you gift for an introduction, not a bribe.

The judge rejected this defense, citing Liber’s admissions during police questioning and statements made by Ganor to investigators. In his account to police, Liber described receiving the money and passing it to Sharan in cash. He also acknowledged conveying information and requests between the two men regarding the submarines.

Although both Liber and Ganor later withdrew these incriminating accounts, Melamed found them reliable. The judge relied on supporting evidence including payment records, a table of consultants kept by Ganor, staff notebooks, and communications data.

The verdict noted that Liber’s explanation for the consulting arrangement lacked commercial logic. The parties exchanged only unsigned draft contracts, and Liber could not explain how the payment amounts or timing were determined.

The judge also addressed the defense’s attempt to exclude Liber’s police admissions. Lawyers argued that Lahav 433 investigators pressured Liber and interfered with his legal advice. Melamed rejected this, stating that Liber retained control over his responses and consulted privately with his lawyer before making key admissions. The judge concluded the statements were voluntary and reliable.