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Israel's President Moshe Katsav was questioned by police Wednesday morning. (AP file)
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners August 23, 2006 |
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Police arrived at the official residence of Israeli President Moshe Katsav on Wednesday to question him regarding allegations of sexual misconduct and graft.
At least two former female employees have accused Katsav of harassing them, police said. One of the women reportedly also alleged that Katsav received money for granting presidential pardons.
Katsav has denied wrongdoing.
According to the Jerusalem Post, police were also investigating claims by Katsav that one of his former employees was attempting to blackmail him, contradicting claims by the employee, known as A., that the president engaged in sexual contact with her while she worked on his staff.
The interrogation, which began Wednesday morning and stretched into the afternoon, came two days after police seized computers and documents in a late-night raid on the president's official residence in Jerusalem.
Katsav will be questioned at least two more times in the coming days, police officials said. Dozens of other workers in his office have also been questioned and more are to be interrogated, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak to the media.
The officials said the questioning was being conducted in a "good atmosphere," but that it was still too early to say whether there was enough evidence to indict Katsav. Police have also not completed their work on the computers taken from Katsav's office, the officials said.
The probe is the latest in a string of investigations involving top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Haim Ramon, who was charged Wednesday with sexual misconduct. Ramon was forced to resign as justice minister earlier this week due to the allegations.
Ramon is a senior member of the ruling Kadima Party and is considered to be close to the prime minister. The accusations dealt a further blow to Olmert, who has been under intense criticism for his conduct during a recent war against Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas.
An 18-year-old female soldier has accused Ramon, 56, of forcibly kissing her at a farewell party at the Defense Ministry. Ramon has said he is innocent. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to three years in prison.
Ramon has been a chief supporter of Olmert's plan to unilaterally withdraw from much of the West Bank by 2010, which has been shelved due to the war against Hezbollah.
Ramon, who is still a lawmaker, has waived his parliamentary immunity in the case.
The indictments and investigations have tainted Israel's government, hurting its image in the public.
Olmert is being investigated in connection with a Jerusalem property deal. Tzahi Hanegbi, another prominent member of Olmert's Kadima party, was informed last week that he would be charged with fraud, bribery and perjury. Army chief Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz has come under fire for selling his stock portfolio as the war was erupting.
All of the men have denied any wrongdoing.
Cabinet minister Meir Sheetrit, a former justice minister, was appointed on Wednesday to replace Ramon as Justice Minister.
The AP contributed to this report.
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