29 June 2007
Israel’s suspended president Moshe Katsav has confessed to sexual misconduct under a plea bargain that spares him more serious charges and possible prison time. Katsav will be convicted of sexually harassing and molesting two female staff as well as witness tampering, Israel’s attorney general Menachem Mazuz announced on Thursday. Katsav will receive a suspended prison sentence and pay compensation to the complainants. The deal allows Katsav to escape a possible indictment on charges that he raped a former aide, for which he could have spent as much as 18 years in prison. A poll conducted by the ‘Yedioth Ahronoth’ newspaper and the Dahaf Institute found that 69 percent of the public opposed the plea bargain arrangement for Katsav.
On Friday, Katsav, who had long denied wrongdoing in the case, formally resigned from the presidency. Knesset speaker Dalia Itzik will continue to serve as acting president for the next two weeks until Shimon Peres takes over the presidency.
