JERUSALEM, Oct. 15 The Israeli police recommended on Sunday that President Moshe Katsav face charges of rape and sexual assault allegedly committed against several women in his office. Israels attorney general must now decide whether to file such charges.
Mr. Katsav, who has held the mostly ceremonial post since 2000, has denied any wrongdoing. He has said that at least one of his accusers was trying to extort money and that his political enemies were behind the investigation.
After an inquiry that lasted nearly two months, the police on Sunday handed
their findings to the attorney general, Menachem Mazuz. He will review the
material and decide whether charges are warranted. It could be weeks before
he announces a decision.
A joint statement by the police and the Justice Ministry said there was evidence that the president committed rape, aggravated sexual assault, indecent acts without permission and offenses under the law to prevent sexual harassment.
According to the police, the inquiry also found evidence that the president had committed fraud and was engaged in illegal wiretapping.
As far as were concerned, weve completed the investigation, said Micky Rosenfeld, a police spokesman. There is hard evidence and hard facts in this case.
Mr. Katsavs lawyer, Zion Amir, said in a statement that Israels attorney general had in the past dismissed police findings as insufficient and had chosen not to file charges after investigations of senior officials.
Mr. Katsav has been facing calls for his resignation, and Sundays statement by the police was sure to intensify those demands. Israels Parliament opens its winter session on Monday, an event Mr. Katsav normally attends. Mr. Katsavs brother, Lior Katsav, told Israeli radio that the president planned to attend but would not address the legislators.
Several female lawmakers have threatened to walk out of the session if Mr. Katsav is present.
The president must resign, Education Minister Yuli Tamir told Israeli
television. If he doesnt do so, I believe a process will be launched to force him to resign.
Mr. Katsav is immune from standing trial while in office. However, if he resigns or is impeached by Parliament, he would have to face any charges against him, according to legal scholars. Mr. Katsavs seven-year term ends next year.
Although the case has received widespread coverage in Israel, any charges against Mr. Katsav are not likely to have broader political ramifications. Israels president is expected to serve as a unifying force and set a moral tone, but his position is more symbolic than substantive.
Still, the controversy surrounding Mr. Katsav comes at a time when the Israeli public has expressed widespread disappointment in the countrys leadership. Many Israelis say that the government and the military mismanaged the recent war with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, a target for much of that criticism, has been under investigation regarding the sale of his Jerusalem home and the purchase of a new one. His critics say he received favored treatment, getting an above-market price for the home he sold and buying the new one at below its true value.
Several other politicians are under investigation or have been charged with wrongdoing, including the former justice minister, Haim Ramon, who quit in August and was subsequently charged with sexual harassment. Mr. Ramon is accused of forcibly kissing a female soldier, a charge he denies.
Mr. Katsav, 60, is married and has five children. He was born in Iran and came to Israel a few years after the countrys independence in 1948. When he was 24, he was elected mayor of Kiryat Malachi, a poor town populated by immigrants in southern Israel. He was elected to Parliament in 1977 and served for many years with the right-wing Likud party.
In 2000, the elder statesman Shimon Peres was the heavy favorite to become the president, a position that is filled by a vote in Parliament. However, Mr. Katsav was the surprise winner.
As president, Mr. Katsav has been a low-key figure who frequently attends public ceremonies here and abroad, but has generally steered clear of the frequent controversies and political upheavals in Israel.
The allegations of sexual misconduct against Mr. Katsav first surfaced during the summer, and the formal investigation began in August. The police confiscated a computer and documents from the presidents official residence on Aug. 21 and have since questioned him at length on several occasions.
Although his accusers have not been identified, police officials say they are five women who have worked in the presidents office.
Israels previous president, Ezer Weizman, resigned in 2000 amid scandal. During the 1980s, when he was a lawmaker and cabinet minister, he received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a French businessman with interests in Israel. No charges were filed against Mr. Weizman, who died in 2005.
By GREG MYRE
Published: October 16, 2006
original texts
Archives
About Us
- kebikec
- Bu blog Ege Üniversitesi Amerikan Kültürü ve Edebiyatı Bölümü öğrencilerinin ceviri denemelerini okuyucuya sunar. This blog aims to present tranlations of the students of American Culture and Literature Dept. at Ege University.
