Tzachi Liber Convicted of Bribery Mediation and Money Laundering in the Submarine Affair: About NIS 94,000 in Invoices for Consulting Never Provided

What the court ruled

On October 26, 2026, the Tel Aviv District Court convicted Tzachi Liber, a communications and strategy consultant, of three offenses: bribery mediation, money laundering and aiding the preparation of false books and records. The verdict was written by Judge Shmuel Melamed (Walla, Srugim).

Liber's case was handled separately from the main case in the submarine affair. According to reports, David Sharan, for whose benefit the funds were intended according to the verdict, is standing trial separately (Bizportal). The findings regarding Liber are not a ruling on Sharan's case, and he enjoys the presumption of innocence until the proceedings against him conclude.

Two payments in 2014 and 2016

According to the verdict as reported, Miki Ganor, Thyssenkrupp's representative in Israel, transferred a total of about NIS 93,900 in two payments (Walla):

• NIS 35,400 in November 2014, to a company in which Liber was a partner.
• NIS 58,500 in August 2016, to a company owned by Liber's partner.

Different media outlets reported slightly different rounded figures (about NIS 90,000, 93,900 and about NIS 94,000). The itemized payments add up to NIS 93,900. The court viewed the two payments as a single continuing criminal scheme, and according to the report the exact amount that reached Sharan was not determined (Walla).

Consulting services that were never provided

The payments were presented as payment for consulting services, and invoices were issued alongside them. According to the court, the invoices were meant to disguise the purpose of the transfers and allow them to be recorded as recognized expenses, and in practice no consulting services were provided (Walla).

The defense argued that Liber gave Ganor genuine communications and strategy services. The court rejected the claim and found that the "work" was fictitious and served as a cover for a bribe (Srugim). According to Walla, the judge pointed to unsigned draft contracts, the absence of a clear agreement on fees, and the absence of any work product from Liber.

The police confessions

In his police interrogation, Liber described himself as a "money pipe," according to the report. At trial he tried to retract the confessions and claimed he gave them under pressure. The court rejected the claim and found that the confessions were given voluntarily, after consulting a lawyer and without any promise of a benefit. The judge noted flaws in the interrogation but found that they do not justify disqualifying the confessions (Walla).

What happens next

Sentence has not yet been handed down, and the date of the sentencing arguments was not published in the sources reviewed. The conviction was handed down in the first instance, and Liber may appeal it. The proceedings against Sharan and other defendants in the submarine affair continue separately, and all of them enjoy the presumption of innocence.

What the case teaches about invoices and consulting payments

A payment for "consulting services" is one of the common ways to disguise a transfer of funds. When an invoice is not backed by a signed agreement, work product and documentation of a service actually provided, it is a warning sign. When vetting a supplier or consultant before paying, check the company's registration and its shareholders, ask for the agreement and work product, and compare the invoice to the service actually provided.

Sources: Walla, 26.10.2026, Bizportal, 26.10.2026, Srugim, 26.10.2026. The sources are in Hebrew.

Further reading: Background check before a deal, Due diligence: what it is and when it is required, and Financial fraud investigation service.

The information in this section is general and is not legal advice. This is a first-instance conviction that can be appealed. Anyone mentioned who is not convicted in this proceeding enjoys the presumption of innocence.