State witness in PM’s trial sentenced to 6-months community service
Former Netanyahu aide Ari Harow also fined NIS 700,000 for illegally acting to benefit his consultancy firm, which he failed to sell as required
Jeremy Sharon is The Times of Israel’s legal affairs and settlements reporter
Ari Harow, a former chief of staff to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was sentenced Wednesday to six months community service and an NIS 700,000 ($188,000) fine by the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court for his conviction on a charge of fraud and breach of trust.
Harrow was convicted in January as part of a plea bargain, in which he agreed to serve as a state witness in Netanyahu’s criminal trial on corruption charges.
He was convicted for having engaged in a “fictitious sale” of a political consultancy company he had owned, which he had been required to sell as part of a conflict of interest agreement he signed when he became Netanyahu’s chief of staff in 2014.
The fictitious sale preserved Harow’s connections to the company, and he took full ownership of it a year after “selling” it. During that year, Harow acted to benefit the company while serving as the prime minister’s chief of staff.
The State Attorney’s Office said in January that the plea bargain and conviction were reached after Harow admitted to the charges in the indictment, and that it was part of the framework within which Harow agreed to testify as a state witness in Netanyahu’s criminal trial in Cases 1000 and 2000, in which Netanyahu is himself accused of fraud and breach of trust.
Harow took up his role as chief of staff in Netanyahu’s bureau in January 2014 and remained in that position until January 2015.
Harow also became embroiled in the investigation into Netanyahu’s affairs and his subsequent trial, due to his involvement in meetings between Netanyahu and Arnon Mozes, the publisher of the Yedioth Ahronoth daily newspaper.
Harow eventually testified as a state witness in the Jerusalem District Court in May last year as part of his agreement with the State Attorney’s Office, and confirmed that Netanyahu had sought an agreement with Mozes to temper its hostile coverage of the prime minister.
Netanyahu is accused in Case 2000 of fraud and breach of trust over his alleged attempt to reach a quid pro quo agreement with Mozes whereby Yedioth would give the prime minister more positive media coverage in exchange for legislation weakening rival newspaper Israel Hayom.
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