Reports: Israel’s ex-PM Netanyahu accepts plea deal in corruption trial

The former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly agreed to Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit’s demand that a plea deal in his criminal trial include a clause banning him from public office for seven years, Israeli TV, KAN, reported Monday.

Israel’s Channel 12 news quoted an unnamed associate of Netanyahu as saying that he has “decided to go for a deal and accept the attorney general’s bottom line,” referring to the “moral turpitude” designation.

Netanyahu is on trial in three separate graft cases; for fraud and breach of trust in Case 1,000 and in Case 2,000, and for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in Case 4,000.

According to media reports, the details of a plea agreement that have already been agreed would include dropping the most serious charge against him, for bribery Case 4,000, as well as the entire Case 2,000, and seeing Netanyahu admit to fraud and breach of trust in both Cases 4,000 and 1,000.

Netanyahu denies all charges against him.

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