The Israeli Supreme Court upheld on Thursday the conviction against former Israeli President, Moshe Katsav, after it rejected the appeal filed by his lawyer against two convictions of rape, and several sexual offenses. He will Be imprisoned for seven years.The court ruled that the former president will start his seven-year sentence this coming December the 7th, Israeli daily, Haaretz, reported.
In March this year, Katsav was found guilty of two counts of rape in addition to a number of sexual offenses he committed when he served as the Minister of Tourism, and when he served as Israel’s President.
The judges also ordered Katsav to serve two years on probation, and to pay NIS 100.000 to his victim who worked at his office when he held the position of Tourism Minister, in addition to paying NIS 25.000 to “L”, another employee he abused and harassed, Haaretz added.
Haaretz also stated that Supreme Court justices ruled that Katsav lied to the court when he claimed that his sexual encounters with complainant ‘A’ were consensual.
The complainant, A, testified that Katsav raped her when she was working at his office when he served as Israel’s Tourism Minister.
The trial against the former Israeli President lasted for one year, while all deliberations were held behind closed doors.
The 65-year-old former president was offered a plea bargain two years ago, but he rejected it and maintained his “innocence”.
The plea bargain he rejected offered dropping the most serious charges filed against him, and a suspended sentence.
In their Thursday ruling, the judges said that the testimonies of the former president were “riddled with lies”, and that he changed his claims several times during the course of interrogation, Haaretz added.
On Sunday, September 28 2008, Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, handed his resignation to Israeli President, Shimon Peres, and on August 30. 2009, an indictment was served against him at the District Court in Jerusalem.
The indictment against the Olmert refers to five criminal accounts; Tax evasion, breach of trust, fraud, falsifying corporate documents and obtaining by fraud under aggravating circumstances.
