Story highlights Netanyahu is tied to two cases involving bribery, fraud and breach of trust

Ex-aide Ari Harow served under Netanyahu when he was elected in 2009

Jerusalem (CNN) An ongoing criminal investigation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken a major step forward as his former chief-of-staff has agreed to testify against him, a court-issued gag order released by police reveals.

American-born Ari Harow, who served under the Prime Minister when he was elected in 2009, will cooperate with investigators in two cases, involving bribery, fraud and breach of trust, tied to Netanyahu.

As part of the deal, Harow agreed to plead guilty of committing fraud and breach of trust in an entirely separate case. In exchange, prosecutors will request that Harow be handed six months of community service and a fine of 700,000 shekels (around $200,000) instead of a jail term, which such offenses usually attract.

The deal with was authorized by Israel's Attorney General and was announced by police on Friday.

The announcement came just 12 hours after a court-issued gag order specified the alleged offenses of bribery, fraud and breach of trust for the first time. Netanyahu has been questioned as a suspect in the two cases.

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