Police: Evidence could lead to indictment against Katsav

Police: Evidence could lead to indictment against Katsav

Last update - 11:52 29/08/2006
By Jonathan Lis and Yuval Yoaz

Police sources say the evidence collected so far against President Moshe Katsav could lead to the recommendation of an indictment. He stands accused of raping a former employee, A.

"An indictment may be prepared," said a source close to the team investigating the president on suspicion of sexual offenses.

This statement is based on current evidence and the belief that the team will get additional supporting evidence. But the source cautioned against jumping to conclusions.

"We do not yet have sufficient proof, but a cautious assessment is that we will be able to recommend an indictment," they said.

The police apparently have not yet decided whether to hold a confrontation between the president and A., nor have they decided whether Katsav should take a polygraph test.

Attorney General Menachem Mazuz met Monday with Police Commissioner Moshe Karadi and other top police brass to review the findings so far. They also instructed the investigation team to keep information under wraps, on the request of Katsav’s lawyers, David Libai and Zion Amir, who are demanding an investigation into leaks.

Raz Nizri, a senior Mazuz assistant, wrote to the lawyers explaining that the leaks were not emanating from police sources.

"The information published is for the most part accessable to people involved and those with various interests in the affair, and therefore we have not found a basis for attributing the publications to law-enforcement circles," he said.

Meanwhile Mazuz has not yet decided whether to respond to a request from MK Ruhama Avraham for an "interim report" on the investigation and recommendations on how the president should behave when under investigation. Avraham requested the report in her capacity as chair of the Knesset House Committee.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/755888.html