Netanyahu Under Investigation for Felony, Fraud, Bribery

Concrete details on an ongoing investigation into Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu have come to light through a court order. Police are in talks with his ex-chief of staff concerning testifying against his former boss.

Details into Israeli authorities’ investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally emerged on Thursday, following months of questioning and media speculation, DW reported.

A court order issued by the police to an Israeli court disclosed that the prime minister was being investigated “on suspicion of the commission of the felonies of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.”

Police had principally been seeking a court injunction aimed at barring publication of “any details from the negotiations under way with (former Netanyahu aide) Ari Harrow and counsel.” However, the court also disclosed Netanyahu’s suspected wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, Harrow, Netanyahu’s former chief-of-staff, has agreed to testify in two cases against his former boss. Israeli media say Harrow reached a deal with the prosecutors on Friday.

Netanyahu’s suspected wrongdoing revolves around two separate cases. The first case, known as File 1,000, relates to illegal gifts received by Netanyahu and his family from business associates, including Australian billionaire James Packer and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan. File 2,000, meanwhile, concerns alleged attempts by the prime minister to strike a deal with the publisher of the Yediot Ahronot newspaper group, offering legislation that would weaken the publisher’s competitors in exchange for favorable coverage.

Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing. A spokesman for the Israeli premier responded to the court order on Thursday, saying he was the victim of “a witch-hunt, now at its peak, aimed at changing the government.”

The spokesman continued: “This is destined to fail, for a simple reason: Nothing will happen because nothing happened.”

However, Odelia Carmon, another former aide of Netanyahu’s who worked alongside Harrow, said that if the former aide were to testify, the revelations would be a “bombshell.”