The Israeli police in Jerusalem seized computers and documents from the residence and office of the Israeli president, Moshe Katsav. The raid is part of an investigation which started after a former employee at Katsav’s office filed a complaint that he forced her into sexual relations with him, Israeli online daily Haaretz reported.
Katsav, who denied the accusation, is facing charges that could include rape.
An Israeli police sources reported that Katsav will be questioned “under caution” in his resident on Wednesday, and that an official complaint would be brought during the questioning.
Officials at Katsav’s office refused to comment on the raid, but said that Katsav would be willing to cooperate with the investigation.
“Katsav will cooperate, and will present his full version that will prove the lies of the serious accusations”, a statement issued by Katsav’s office reads.
Haaretz added that investigators are searching the seized computers and documents in an attempt to find any relation that could shed light on the nature of the relationship between Katsav and the former employee, and with other staff at his office.
The aim of the investigation in this regards, according to Haaretz, is to gather more information so that their case is not based on differing versions of the events taken from both sides.
The investigators did not specify the charges that will be brought against Katsav.
According to Israeli Law enforcement officials, if the investigation found that the claims of the former employee are credible, the course of investigation would focus on possible rape charges.
The Israeli law prohibits intimate relations who is prevented from providing full consent by her own, Haaretz said, and this is considered “rape”, the law also forbids exploiting a position of power in the workplace in order to have sex.
Also, Haaretz reported that two months ago, Katsav gave Israel’s Attorney General Menachem Mazuz a letter, in which he stated that he believes that a former employee had tried to extort him after threatening that if he denies her requests she would file charges against him and accuse him of sexual harassment.
After agreeing to take a lie detector test, the indicator showed that the woman truthfully answered several questions about sexual contact between her and Katsav. In other cases her answers were not absolute. The Israeli police started collecting testimonies to prove and void her testimony.
Haaretz added that nearly one month ago, a special investigation team into this case met the former employee at a police station in Lod, and questioned her at first under warning on suspicion of attempted extortion. The committee is headed by Brigadier General Yoav Sigalovitch.
The woman gave details information of her complaint against Katsav, but did not file an official complaint into the issue.
