New York: Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn may get a final reprieve on indictment on sexual assault charges with New York`s prosecutors calling lawyers of
the hotel maid for talks that could lead to the dismissal of the case.
Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R Vance Jr has
decided to ask a judge to dismiss the case, `New York Times`
reported today.
If the judge dismisses the indictment, Strauss-Kahn will
be free to return to France, and the decision to drop the
charges will bring to an end one of the most closely watched
prosecutions in decades.
Nafissatou Diallo, the maid and her attorney Kenneth
Thompson are due to meet New York prosecutors today, for a
meeting which Thompson himself said he believed was called to
tell Diallo that all or some of the charges would be dropped.
Diallo, a 32-year-old immigrant from the West African
country of Guinea, had accused Strauss-Kahn of sexually
abusing her in a Manhattan hotel.
If the defence lawyers and prosecutors come to an
understanding, the outcome would leave Diallo with no recourse
to pursue criminal charges against 62-year-old Strauss-Kahn,
an enormously powerful international banker and a leading
candidate for the French Presidency till the charges by the
maid bought his career to an almost deadend.
But Diallo has also filed a civil lawsuit seeking
unspecified damages from former IMF chief for what the suit
called "violent and sadistic attack", that humiliated and
degraded her.
Unless there is a postponement, Times said only two
options remain for tomorrow`s hearing, prosecutors telling the
judge they plan to go ahead with the case or prosecutors
moving to dismiss charges.
Strauss-Kahn has pleaded not guilty to all charges
against him including "criminal sexual act, unlawful
imprisonment, and attempted rape." He is currently free on
bail, but his passport has been confiscated.
PTI
