Katsav denies rape allegations
Former president's lawyers submit his response to indictment filed against him with Tel Aviv District Court. Katsav admits he served as president and fired complainant who worked with him at Tourism Ministry, but denies raping her
Katsav admitted that he had served as president and had fired the complainant who worked with him at the Tourism Ministry, but claimed he had done so due to her flawed performance as his bureau chief and following complaints filed against her.
As for the allegations that he had raped the woman, Katsav said that he had been in a round of meetings which were held in his office at the Tourism Ministry, and that "as these events happened a long time ago, he should not be expected to remember his moves during that specific day in details."
He added, "Our request to receive the investigation material as for the days mentioned in the indictment still stands, including a documentation of the defendant and complainant's incoming and outgoing calls."
According to Katsav, once he receives the material he will provide a more detailed description of his alibi claims.
As for the second charge, that he has sexually harassed a woman who worked with him at the President's Residence, Katsav admitted to the three first clauses – that he had served as president, that the woman had worked at the residence and that she had entered his office occasionally.
He denied the fourth clause, saying that he may have given the woman a friendly hug on several occasions, as he had embraced other people and as others have the habit of embracing people without any sexual intentions.
The former president added that the complainant did not attribute any sexual meaning to the hug and did not view it as anything more than a fatherly embrace.
'A kiss as a thank you'
The third charge, which refers to an indecent assault against another woman working at the President Residence, Katsav said that the complainant had organized his 60th birthday and that he had wanted to express his appreciation for her with a kiss on her cheek, without any sexual intentions.
He even addressed the complainant's testimony, in which she had stressed "I don't call this harassment."
As for the fourth charge of harassing a witness, the former president claimed he had only found out that the complainant was questioned until a later stage. He added that he had considered his conversation with the complainant as a conversation with a worker at the President's Residence and had not known at the time that she had been questioned by the police or was about to be questioned at the State Prosecutor's Office.
