Israel’s attorney general said yesterday he plans to charge President Moshe Katsav with rape, abuse of power and other sexual offences, turning a seven-month investigation into one of several scandals to hit the government.
Mr Katsav, who as president has largely ceremonial powers, will have the chance to make his case in one final hearing before a decision is made to hand down a formal indictment. His lawyers had earlier suggested he would resign if charged, but reports last night suggested he did not intend to quit for now. The president has always maintained his innocence.
If charged, it would be the first time a sitting Israeli president has been indicted with a crime.
Several MPs last night called for his immediate resignation. Limor Livnat, a former cabinet minister from the Likud party, to which Mr Katsav belonged, told Army Radio: “The president must resign immediately. There is no room for manoeuvres or backflips.”
The case against Mr Katsav is based in part on testimony from several female employees. He is alleged to have assaulted one woman and forced another to have sex with him in his office. A string of other allegations were also investigated.
