Last update - 00:00 14/11/2006
Katsav to undergo final round of questioning in sex assault probe
By Yuval Yoaz, Haaretz Correspondent
As the investigation against President Moshe Katsav surrounding allegations of sexual assault nears completion, authorities plan to bring the president in Wednesday for a final round of questioning.
Police and prosecution officials agreed to question the president one final time to fill in the missing gaps before presenting the indictment.
It appears Katsav will not be charged with rape but will face charges for other sexual offenses, Haaretz learned Monday. Charges against Katsav will be brought to court no later than March, 2007; most probably the president will be charged with forced sexual assault and non-consensual sexual intercourse.
The Justice Ministry is attempting to expedite work on the case so Katsav's defense attorneys will have two to three months to prepare for the hearing.
If there are no unforeseen delays, the work of officials at the Jerusalem District Attorney's Office and the Attorney General's Office will be completed within a month. At that point, in early December, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz is expected to announce his decision, in principle, to press charges against Katsav.
No decision on the indictment will be made at the Justice Ministry before the High Court of Justice deliberations (scheduled for November 27) regarding a petition calling for Katsav to step down are completed.
Following the deliberations at the High Court, the investigation material will be given to Katsav's defense attorneys, Professor David Libai and attorney Zion Amir, so they can prepare for the hearing. The amount of time they will be granted for preparing their position will not exceed three months, and therefore the hearing will be conducted in late February or early March.
Justice Ministry sources denied rumors that Katsav's defense team would be granted up to six months to prepare.
In less than 10 days from the hearing, a final decision on pressing charges against the president will be made no later than March, 2007.
Unlike previous estimates, the timetable above indicates Mazuz will announce his final decision on pressing charges early in 2007 and not close to July, when Katsav's term in office comes to an end.
This suggests Katsav will not be able to avoid stepping down: A decision to press charges closer to July would have made this step redundant.
The president has said that if a final decision is made to press charges against him, he will resign. However, sources at the Justice Ministry say Katsav will step down, either of his own volition or by a Knesset decision, at an earlier stage than his declaration suggests.
Katsav is considering asking the Knesset to allow him to step down temporarily if Mazuz decides in principle to press charges against him. However, Katsav reportedly does not intend to resign his post until a final decision is made - after the hearing.
Meanwhile, the State Prosecutor's Office has decided to delay some of the final interviews in the investigation, including the final questioning of Katsav, in the hope these can be carried out once Katsav steps down from his post.
The idea is to create the necessary conditions for employees in the President's Office to offer uninhibited evidence regarding allegations that Katsav tampered with witnesses and the investigation. If there is no change in the status of Katsav in the coming weeks, the final interviews will be carried out anyway.
Legal experts believe Mazuz will decide to press charges against Katsav, even though the hearing can, in theory, alter the attorney general's view.
The Jerusalem District Attorney's Office is preparing various versions of an indictment. Mazuz is relying on the police recommendations he received last month, which say Katsav should be indicted, primarily for sexual offenses.