Katsav to confront accuser Friday

Pursuant to introduction of new evidence regarding rape charges against former president, he and former secretary to meet, speak under police supervision
Aviad Glickman

Moshe Katsav will be confronted by his former secretary, known as A', on Friday, as part of the probe into sexual offenses by the former president.

The session - during which each side will question the other in the presence of a police investigator - will take place at a police station and is expected to last for about two hours.

As one of the conditions of the meeting, both sides are forbidden from revealing to the press its exact time and location. Katsav's attorneys only agreed to the meeting recently.

The investigative police team was instructed by a new state prosecution team to investigate the accusations against Katsav further. A', who served under Katsav while the latter was the Tourism Minister, has accused him of sexual misconduct and rape.

The former president's lawyers recently transferred several correspondences and other documents to the police, demonstrating that A' had stayed in contact with Katsav long after the alleged offenses took place. The prosecutor's office instructed police to mediate a meeting between the two sides, pursuant to this new evidence.

The renewed investigation is expected to last a few weeks, at which time prosecutor Ronit Amiel will submit her recommendation to State Prosecutor Moshe Lador and Attorney General Menachem Mazuz, who will then decide whether or not to indict Katsav.