President Moshe Katsav, under investigation for the alleged rape of a former employee, began a 16-hour period of leave from duty Thursday morning, a day after he was quizzed over suspicions that he habitually eavesdropped on workers' phone calls.

The Knesset House Committee on Wednesday approved by a 12-6 majority, with three abstentions, Katsav's request for the 16-hour leave, billed as "temporary incapacity," to enable Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik to replace him at Thursday's swearing-in ceremony of Justice Dorit Beinisch as Supreme Court president.

Police on Wednesday interrogated Katsav for the first time about suspicions that he listened on private phone conversations of his bureau employees via a special telephone system installed on the premises.

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This investigation, which was not made public until now, was launched after a former security officer at the President's Residence told police about the system, which has since been deactivated. Katsav is suspected of being involved in illegal wiretapping.

The special investigative team, headed by Brigadier General Yoav Segalovich, came to the President's Residence on Wednesday for the fifth time to question Katsav under caution. Contrary to initial assessments, Wednesday's interrogation dealt with the wiretapping affair and irregularities in clemencies granted by Katsav.

Police also announced officially for the first time Wednesday that seven women have thus far filed complaints against Katsav alleging various offenses related to sexual assault and harassment.

Police emphasized that the statute of limitations has expired on a significant number of the suspicions, or that indictments cannot be filed for technical reasons. Most of the allegations concern less serious offenses than the ones charged by Katsav's former bureau employee known as A.

Katsav was questioned in recent weeks on suspicion of rape, after A. claimed he had forced her to have sex with him. Investigators have yet to decide whether they will need to question Katsav in the matter further, but that part of his interrogation is probably over.

Police surprised Katsav with the new suspicions ascribed to him, after claiming in recent days that Wednesday's questioning would again deal with the sexual assault allegations. In his previous four interrogations, Katsav was well prepared, and armed with documents and evidence to contradict the women's allegations, even though investigators had not briefed him in advance on the identity of the complainants.

Over the past few days, it emerged that police were investigating additional suspicions against the president, but investigators remained mum about their nature. Only after police completed their interrogation Wednesday were the suspicions of illegal wiretapping revealed.

The investigative team is expected to finish analyzing the testimony Katsav gave in the various cases in the next few days, and decide whether there is sufficient evidence to indict him.

Senior police officials suggested in recent weeks that it will be possible to formulate an indictment against Katsav on at least some of the suspicions ascribed to him. Once the investigation has been completed, the team will present its findings to Attorney General Menachem Mazuz, who will ultimately decide whether there is a basis for trying Katsav on criminal charges.

MK Ruhama Avraham (Kadima) called on Katsav to take a three-month leave of absence, arguing that handling clemency applications, signing ambassadors' credentials, representing the state at public appearances, attending the inauguration of the Supreme Court president are one in the same. Avraham abstained from voting.

Katsav's lawyer, Prof. David Libai, attended the committee session briefly and left after Avraham spoke. Kinneret Barashi, lawyer for the first complainant, known as A., in the case against Katsav, also attended the meeting.