Former PM aide Harow to provide information in ‘Submarine Case’
Police question Sara Netanyahu in ‘Residence Affair’
Ari Harow, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s former chief of staff, will provide information to the police in Case 3000, dubbed the “Submarine Case.”
This comes after reports that Harow will provide information in cases 1000 and 2000, as part of a future deal to be a state’s witness, or another arrangement.
Unlike in cases 1000 (the “expensive gifts affair”) and 2000 (an alleged attempt to negotiate sympathetic coverage of the prime minister in Yediot Aharonot in return for the weakening of Yediot competitor Israel Hayom), the prime minister is not a suspect in Case 3000, but according to reports on Channel 2 and 10, Harow’s testimony might help police get closer to Netanyahu.
The American-born Harow, who has been a trusted political and personal adviser to Netanyahu, served as his bureau chief in 2008-2010 and as his chief of staff in 2014-2015.
According to a senior authority in the law-enforcement system, Harow’s future testimony will have a significant impact in strengthening the suspicion against Netanyahu in cases 1000 and 2000, Channel 10 reported. That source also confirms that a deal is expected to be reached with Harow soon. It wasn’t the police that suggested making Harow a state’s witness, but his lawyer who offered it months ago, according to the report.
Harow is suspected of bribery, fraud, breach of trust and money laundering, over allegations that he advanced his business interests while being employed at the Prime Minister’s Office.
Police suspect Harow of fictitiously selling 3H Global, his international government relations firm, while maintaining ownership when he returned to the Prime Minister’s Office in 2014.
Harow was required to sell the company due to a possible conflict of interest.
However, Harow allegedly did not receive the full sum to which he was entitled, thus arousing suspicions of a fictitious sale.
Also on Wednesday, police questioned Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister’s wife, regarding the so-called “Prime Minister’s Residence Affair,” at the request of Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit.
The questioning, which took around two hours, was part of an effort to finalize the case against Sara Netanyahu. She was asked about inflated receipts that were submitted for purchases made for the Prime Minister’s Residence.
The prime minister is also not a suspect in this case, and has denied wrongdoing by his wife.
Mandelblit will hold a meeting in two weeks to decide whether to indict Netanyahu or not, according to reports.