ISRAEL:Israel's attorney general announced yesterday that he plans to indict President Moshe Katsav on charges of rape, sexual harassment and obstruction of justice, a sensational but not wholly unexpected development in a case that has riveted Israelis for months.
Politicians across the political spectrum called on the president, the country's ceremonial head of state, to resign. But Mr Katsav, who has denied what are the most serious charges ever to be levelled against a public figure in Israel, was expected to announce this morning that he would not step down but would temporarily suspend his role in office.
A final decision by attorney general Menachem Mazuz on the indictment will be made once the president has been given a hearing to present his case. A date for the hearing has yet to be set.
Mr Katsav is to be charged with sex crimes against four women who worked for him during his term as president, which began in 2000, and when he served prior to that as minister for transport. The rape charge relates to a woman who worked with him in the transport ministry. The obstruction of justice charge pertains to the president's alleged attempts to pressure one of the complainants who worked in the president's residence.
Ironically, it was a complaint by Mr Katsav to the attorney general last year, about a woman he said was trying to blackmail him, that ultimately led to the charges against him. Responding to the complaint, Mr Mazuz launched an investigation, which soon turned on its head when the female employee the president had accused of trying to blackmail him said Mr Katsav had coerced her into having sex in his office. In the weeks that followed, several other women came forward with similar accusations of sexual assault and harassment.
Mr Katsav, who made no comment yesterday, has denied the charges, insisting he is the victim of a political conspiracy. He has never provided any details of who might be conspiring against him. His lawyers said yesterday they had evidence about the complainants that they planned to present at the hearing.
While in office, the president has immunity and so can't be tried. But Mr Katsav, whose term ends in six months, is likely to face growing public pressure to resign. The Israeli parliament also has the power to remove him from office if 90 out of the 120 lawmakers support impeachment.
Minister for education Yuli Tamir, of the Labor Party, said Mr Katsav should stand down immediately.
"Under the current circumstances it is impossible to educate children to respect the institution of the presidency and to ask them to put up a picture in their school of a president who is charged with serious crimes," she said.