Ex-Netanyahu aide says police intimidated him into turning state witness against PM
In cross-examination, Ari Harow says he believes cops trumped up charges against him, made him understand his only way out was to hand over incriminating recordings of his boss
Michael Bachner is a news editor at The Times of Israel
A key state witness in the corruption trial against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was cross-examined Wednesday by the premier’s legal team, testifying that police had “trumped up” a legal case against himself and used intimidation tactics to convince him that he must disclose incriminating information against Netanyahu in exchange for his freedom.
Ari Harow, a former aide to Netanyahu, gave his main testimony Tuesday in so-called Case 2000, in which the prime minister is accused of fraud and breach of trust over his alleged attempt to reach a quid pro quo agreement with the publisher of a major newspaper to give Netanyahu more positive media coverage in exchange for legislation that would constrain the rival Israel Hayom daily.
Harow told the Jerusalem District Court Tuesday that Netanyahu had sought an agreement with Arnon “Noni” Mozes, the publisher of the popular Yedioth Ahronoth daily newspaper, to temper its hostile coverage of him out of fear he would lose the 2015 general election.
Harow recalled that Netanyahu had asked him to set up meetings with Mozes at the prime minister’s residence and to secretly record those meetings.
In the cross-examination on Wednesday, Netanyahu’s lawyer Amit Hadad focused on alleged illicit measures police took to convince Harow to hand in these incriminating recordings, having learned they existed from an undisclosed source.
Harow is himself under indictment for fraud and breach of trust over the allegedly fictitious selling of a company he had owned — while preserving links to it — when he was required to sell it as a condition for becoming Netanyahu’s chief of staff in 2014.
Confirming virtually all of Hadad’s account of the events, Harow testified that he had believed this investigation was behind him in early 2015, and was very surprised when cops arrived at his home in December 2015, conducted a search of his home and computer, and took him in for questioning in the same case.
That evening, an officer took his cellphone, Harow confirmed, adding that he had assumed the move was lawful and not knowing that personal communications between a prime minister and his chief of staff are immune from such searches.
When he received his phone back in February 2016, the recording app was open, showing the recording of the Netanyahu-Mozes meetings, Harow confirmed. He understood this as a sign that police knew about the recordings, were conducting an investigation against Netanyahu and were waiting to see what Harow’s next move would be.
Realizing that if he alerted Netanyahu he would be suspected of obstruction of justice, Harow confirmed that he had decided, after consulting his lawyer, to voluntarily hand in the recordings to the police, understanding that this was the only way to solve his own legal woes.
Harow later reached a plea bargain with the State Attorney’s Office in his own case — which would see him confess and get six months of community service and a NIS 700,000 ($191,000) fine — in return for his testimony in Netanyahu’s trial. The plea deal hasn’t been finalized yet at the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court, where the sides have been waiting first for Harow’s testimony in the Netanyahu trial.
At one point during the cross-examination Wednesday, prosecutor Alon Gildin intervened and objected to Hadad’s line of questioning, arguing that it might lead Harow to deny the charges against him and cause his plea deal to collapse.
Hadad responded: “Understanding how the witness became a state witness and how [police] caused an innocent man to become a state witness is something your honors should see.”
Hadad then presented to Hadad a series of arguments that Harow confirmed he agrees with, and questions that he answered affirmatively.
“You were a means, not an end. You were trampled on as a step [on the way to Netanyahu]” was one of them.
“Did you feel like they were trying to trump up charges against you?” Hadad asked, with Harow answering affirmatively.
Hadad cited a media report at the time that said a police officer had told Harow: “If you want out, there are ways.” Harow said he remembered this.
Hadad asked: “Did you understand the meaning was Netanyahu? To give information about the prime minister in exchange for your neck [being saved]?”
“That’s what I understood,” Harow answered.
The officers later suggested linking Harow’s case with the Netanyahu case, offering him a chance to become state witness, he confirmed. After resisting this offer, Harow was later summoned for more questioning in his own case as a suspect.
“Was it clear to you that you wouldn’t be a suspect as long as you give incriminating information about Netanyahu?” asked Hadad.
Harow answered: “I understood their goal was Netanyahu. I feared that I would become a suspect.”
Netanyahu is on trial in three corruption cases. He faces charges of fraud and breach of trust in Case 1000 and in Case 2000, and charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in Case 4000. He denies wrongdoing and says the charges were fabricated in a political coup led by the police and state prosecution.
Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.
