Grand jury to hear from alleged victim before Strauss-Kahn trial decision

Anne Sinclair, Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s wife, visits husband at Rikers Island prison but IMF chief could be out of jail by the weekend The 32-year-old woman allegedly attacked by Dominique Strauss-Kahn is expected to testify to the grand jury deciding whether to prosecute the head of the International Monetary Fund. Strauss-Kahn is hoping to be granted bail on Friday as his lawyers return to court to fight off charges of sexual assault and attempted rape. The 62-year-old is at the Rikers Island prison in New York. Authorities have confirmed he is under suicide watch, fitted with a medical device to make sure he doesn’t stop breathing during the night, and checked on 24 hours a day. His wife, Anne Sinclair, visited him in jail. “I do not believe for a single second the accusations levelled against my husband,” she said in a statement. Prosecutors allege Strauss-Kahn attacked the maid in his suite at the Sofitel hotel in Manhattan around Saturday lunchtime. They are assessing DNA and other evidence from Strauss-Kahn, from the woman, and from the scene of the alleged crime. On Friday, the grand jurors will announce their decision, and lawyers believe it is almost certain that a case will be brought against Strauss-Kahn. The IMF chief’s lawyers are also expected to plead innocent to the court on his behalf, and argue he should be released on bail. John Coffee, a professor at Columbia Law School, said that Strauss-Kahn could be out of jail by the weekend, and he expected that his lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, could come up with an arrangement pending trial that would satisfy the judge in the case. This week, Manhattan’s chief assistant district attorney, Daniel Alonso, successfully argued that Strauss-Kahn was a flight risk, and compared him to director Roman Polanski who fled the US after making a plea bargain admitting underage sex but then being faced with jail. Coffee said Brafman was one of the most experienced lawyers in the US and would more than likely find a solution that would grant bail. “Even Bernie Madoff got bail,” said Coffee. “And he was a flight risk.” Coffee said that, like Madoff, Strauss-Kahn might have to employ an expensive 24-hour surveillance team to monitor his movements while he is placed under effective house arrest in an apartment or hotel. The woman that Strauss-Kahn allegedly attacked is now in hiding. An immigrant from Guinea in west Africa, she has not been named by the authorities. Her lawyer, Jeffrey Shapiro, said her life had been turned “upside down” and she had been unable to return to her home because of the press attention; he also said that she strongly contested what has been suggested would be Strauss-Kahn’s line of defence, that the sex was consensual. The efforts to free Strauss Khan come as pressure mounts for him to resign as IMF managing director. Lawyers for the IMF are attempting to contact him to clarify his position. IMF officials have not spoken to him since his arrest. The US treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, and European finance ministers have all made it clear they believe he should resign, in view of the institution’s role in global finance. Sources close to the IMF say there is a split among its board. Strauss-Kahn’s deputy, John Lipsky, has stepped in on an interim basis but both had planned to retire shortly, even before the scandal. The race to succeed Strauss-Kahn has now intensified, with candidates from the developing world pushing for senior jobs traditionally dominated by Europeans. Some IMF members want Strauss-Kahn to resign as soon as possible, arguing that the scandal is damaging the institution; others say he has yet to give his side of the story and maintains his innocence, and the IMF should not bend to pressure. IMF officials did not return calls for comment. Dominique Strauss-Kahn New York United States France Europe IMF Dominic Rushe guardian.co.uk

Posted by on May 18, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.