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Katsav may escape rape charge
28/06/2007 11:40 - (SA)
Jerusalem - Israel's disgraced outgoing head of state Moshe Katsav looks set to escape a looming rape indictment on Thursday by being offered an expected plea bargain from Attorney General Menachem Mazuz.
The justice ministry confirmed that Mazuz, who has been deliberating whether to press charges against Katsav for a string of sex and abuse of power allegations, will hold a news conference at 08:00 GMT in Jerusalem.
A spokesperson said only that Mazuz would address the latest development in the Katsav case, a scandal which has gripped Israel for months and forced the father of five to suspend himself from duties as president last January.
Local media were rife with reports that Katsav would accept a plea bargain offer that would see the most serious sexual offences, including rape, dropped from the charge sheet.
Instead he would be charged with "an indecent act", sexual harassment and harassment of a witness, public radio reported.
The agreement could be signed as early as Thursday afternoon, with the radio saying Katsav may be reluctant to admit to actions he says he did not commit, but that he wants to spare his family further suffering.
The deal would see Katsav faced with a suspended prison sentence and a fine. If convicted of the original accusations - to which he has always sworn his innocence - he could have been put behind bars for 16 years.
The accusations are the most serious ever levelled against an Israeli leader.
Nobel peace laureate and elder statesman Shimon Peres was on June 13 elected Katsav's successor and is to be sworn in president on July 15. Ironically he lost out to Katsav for the post in a parliamentary vote in 2000.
- AFP
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