Israeli president, Moshe Katsav, was interrogated on Thursday morning
for the fourth time, after additional complaints were filed by four
other women, apart from his former secretary, accusing him of sexual
harassment, Israeli sources reported.
The Israeli Ynetnews reported that police investigators entered the residency of Katsav in Jerusalem around 10 a.m on Thursday morning.
The Israeli police, according to a report by the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, are also investigating a suspicion that Katsav was also involved in indecent assault and rape of the four other women. He denied the allegation.
Israeli sources reported that the first woman who complained against him said that he had raped her in the office, but he said that he could not have done that “because the door of his office is always opened, and that his wife would have walked in at any given time”.
The second woman who complained against Katsav said that Katsav sexually harassed her and forced her to have sexual intercourse with him, in the 1990s at the transportation minister's office.
The third woman said that as she was working at the tourism minister's office when Katsav was the minister, and that he forced her to have sexual intercourse with him in 1996.
The fourth complainant said that she was harassed by Katsav when he served in a public title and another woman said that he sexually harassed her after he was elected as president.
On his part, Katsav denied all allegations and said that the complainants are trying to avenge him. He added that the woman who worked with him at the Ministry of transportation has asked for a job at the president's in 2000; he presented a letter from the year 2000.
He also said that the woman who worked with him at the Tourism Ministry has also asked him later on for a job and was rejected.
Katsav was investigated on Wednesday for seven hours by a special team of investigators head by Brigadier General Yoav Segalovich.
The investigators believe that complainant A has a reliable version, and that if the course of investigation does not change, they will have to recommend putting Katsav on Trial.
Complainant A was interrogated for ten hours on Wednesday, she told the investigators how she met with Katsav and how he “forced her into sexual intercourse with him”.
Also, the Israeli police said that they are trying to get hold of a video tape that was offered to several media outlets in Israel.
The person in possession of the tape said that it presents the complainant in an “embarrassing state”.
Meanwhile, Katsav will not preside over the swearing-in ceremony of incoming Supreme Court President Dorit Benisch on Thursday, as the investigation continues, Israeli online daily Haaretz reported.
A statement from Katsav residence said that he would refrain from attending the event to prevent argument tied to it.
The statement adds that Katsav saw himself as a “victim of slander” by a former employee that is trying to build her case against him “with despicable lies”.
