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Netanyahu's friend just agreed to testify against him in corruption probe

Securing testimony from someone in the Israeli prime minister’s inner circle would be a significant coup for investigators.

A close confidant of embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to testify for the state against him in a corruption investigation, Israeli media reported Wednesday.

Shlomo Filber, a friend of Netanyahu’s whom he personally appointed as head of Israel’s Communications Ministry, was among a number of the prime minister’s associates arrested Sunday as part of an investigation known as “Case 4000.”

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The investigation, just one of the corruption probes surrounding Netanyahu, is looking into whether a deal was cut with Bezeq, Israel’s largest telecom, to pass regulations benefiting the company in exchange for positive media coverage of the prime minister on one of its subsidiary news websites.

Israeli media reported Wednesday that Filber – who was arrested alongside senior Bezeq figures and Netanyahu’s former spokesman – had agreed to testify for the state against his former boss. Police and Filber’s attorney haven’t commented on the reports.

Securing testimony from someone in the prime minister’s inner circle would be a significant coup for investigators. The reports have fed speculation that Netanyahu, who denies all the allegations against him, is preparing to call an early election in a bid to shore up his support and stall the probes into his affairs.

Police recommended last week that Netanyahu be indicted for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in relation to two other cases; Netanyahu is now waiting on a decision from the attorney-general on whether he will be indicted.

In the first case, the prime minister and his wife are accused of receiving expensive gifts from moguls in exchange for favors; in the second case, Netanyahu is alleged to have offered a newspaper publisher laws that would hurt his business rival in exchange for flattering coverage.

Cover image: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the Security Conference in Munich, Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP)