Last update - 00:00 12/10/2006
Katsav's accuser denies reports of previous extortion attempts
By Roni Singer-Heruti and Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondents
Associates of A., the former President's Residence employee who has accused President Moshe Katsav of forcing her to have sex with him, on Wednesday emphatically denied reports that five previous employers are claiming that she tried to extort them under similar circumstances.
Early in the investigation, several weeks ago, A. gave detectives her curriculum vitae, including the names of former employers.
According to her resume, A. has been employed at five work places since completing her military service, including her present one. The first was a car rental agency, where she worked for four years under a female boss who spoke to Haaretz on Wednesday.
"I knew A. for about four years, during which I was her immediate superior," she said. "She was a very industrious young woman who was loyal to the company. I was impressed by her excellent work ethic. She was very efficient and professional. I trusted her completely and was sorry to see her go."
The former boss, who said that she is not currently in contact with A., stated that A. was not sexually involved with any men in the office, which was very small. "She is being presented as if she were a 'loose' woman, which is completely inaccurate," the former boss said. "She comes from a religious home, that's not how she was raised. Injustice is being done to her; that's not the A. I know. I also don't recall her being very interested in money."
A.'s next place of employment was the President's Residence, where she worked for about a year until leaving due to what she claims was sexual assault by the president. She then traveled to the U.S., where she worked for two different companies. The first was a New York travel agency, where she stayed for five months before switching to a firm in the diamond industry, also for five months. A. told detectives that she left both places on good terms. Neither employer was available for comment Wednesday.
The daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported Wednesday that five of A.'s former employers had signed statements for Katsav's lawyers stating that A. tried to extort them after leaving their employ. A. told friends on Wednesday that she has only worked at five places, that she left all of them on good terms and never received any money through extortion.
"It's more media spin about people who made libelous statements, if they did so," said A.'s attorney, Kinneret Barashi. "Crimes continue to be committed in order to besmirch the complainant's character, in light of the imminent end of the investigation and its known results."
Meanwhile, detectives in the case questioned several journalists on Wednesday in search of support for another woman's claims of sexual improprieties by Katsav. This woman had previously exposed her story in a few media outlets and recently decided to make a formal police complaint against the president.
The police contacted the journalists, including two Haaretz reporters and investigative television journalist Ilana Dayan, after the complainant signed a waiver of confidentiality and authorized the detectives to examine the information she gave the journalists.
AG not seeking Katsav resignation - for now
Attorney General Menachem Mazuz will not call on Katsav to resign as long as the investigation into rape allegations against the president is ongoing, according to a Justice Ministry statement issued on behalf of Mazuz Wednesday.
"The issue of temporarily removing the president from office because he is being incapacitated by a criminal investigation is a matter that is up to the president himself and the Knesset," said the statement. "The attorney general has the authority neither to instruct the president to remove himself from office nor to instruct the Knesset to make such a decision."
The statement was issued due to what a Justice Ministry spokesman called "inaccurate reports" regarding Mazuz's position on whether or not Katsav should resign.
Police are expected to complete their investigation of Katsav next week. They will submit all case files to the State Prosecutor's Office, as well as their recommendations on whether to indict.
The police are expected to recommend charging Katsav with sexual offenses, and Mazuz is expected to adopt this recommendation