New York: Former IMF chief Dominique
Strauss-Kahn dined with his wife at an Italian restaurant
after he was freed from house arrest following a new twist in
his sexual assault case.
Strauss-Kahn and Anne Sinclair were seen with another couple at Scalinatella yesterday,
an Italian restaurant located in the Upper East Side of
Manhattan.
According to Silvia Grottola, a Canadian who was inside
the establishment, during their dinner, Strauss-Kahn and his
wife were recognised and greeted by a couple who dined at a
table nearby.
The couple approached and shook the hands of the former
International Monetary Fund chief and his spouse.
A judge freed Strauss-Kahn from house arrest yesterday
after prosecutors said the maid accusing him of sexual assault
lied to a grand jury.
A smiling Strauss-Kahn, 62, appeared as if a large weight
had been lifted off his shoulders as he left the frenzied
atmosphere of the packed Manhattan courtroom, his arm
affectionately draped on his wife's shoulder.
Strauss-Kahn, whose $1 million bail and $5 million bond
will now be returned, is free to travel anywhere in the United
States, though authorities will keep his passport, pending
possible trial.
The restrictive bail conditions -- including wearing an
ankle monitor, limited outings and being confined to a Lower
Manhattan townhouse under the watch of armed guards -- were
lifted.
Strauss-Kahn and his wife left their temporary home in
New York's TriBeCa district at 7:18 pm (2318 GMT).
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, July 02, 2011, 12:23