Former President Moshe Katsav
Katsav trial: A. of Tourism Ministry to testify
Court will hear testimony of prosecution's leading witness, who claims former president raped her
The trial of former President Moshe Katsav is set to resume Tuesday morning at the Tel Aviv District Court and the prosecution's leading witness, A. from the Tourism Ministry, is scheduled to testify.
A. told police in her testimony that Katsav had begun to harass her shortly after he hired her as his secretary, and that in April of 1998 he took her to his office and raped her.
"I don't remember how I found myself on the floor, he came and lay on top of me, I pushed him," she told police. Then, two months later, A. claims he raped her again at the Jerusalem Plaza Hotel. She said he told her, "Relax, you'll enjoy yourself" when she tried to resist.
A. says she didn't complain because she feared losing her job, but she was fired by Katsav a few months later. Her testimony will be joined with that of A. of the Presidential Residence.
Katsav firmly denied the allegations, and his attorneys have pointed out a number of contradictions in the women's testimonies.
In the original indictment against him the former president was charged with an indecent act, but after he reneged on the plea bargain that brought to the dropping of rape charges they were once again added to the charges against him.
The Katsav trial has been going on for a month and a half, and judges have already heard the testimonies of the two other plaintiffs in the case as well as a third woman whose allegations have already surpassed the statute of limitations.
