Police unsure if Katsav case merits rape indictment

The police are set to complete their investigation of allegations against President Moshe Katsav today, and make their recommendations to the State Prosecutor's Office.

Over the past few days, senior officers have expressed conflicting opinions regarding the office's ability to produce an indictment based on findings in various affairs allegedly involving the president.

Among other things, they are divided over whether there is enough evidence to indict Katsav for rape.

The evidence collected thus far allegedly reveals sexual offenses against three or four women.

Over the past few days, the complaint of one of the women was re-examined to see if it could produce enough evidence for an indictment of sexual assault. However, the police have yet to decide whether to recommend to the state prosecutor that Katsav be indicted for rape.

From all the testimony and evidence collected, it appears that only in the case of A., Katsav's former secretary suspected of trying to blackmail the president, is there a suspicion of rape. The rest of the cases involve alleged sexual harassment or more minor cases of sexual assault.

The police are also not of one opinion regarding other suspicions against Katsav. A senior officer very close to the investigation said he believed the findings provide a basis to indict Katsav on charges in all the suspicions attributed to him, including the sexual offenses, irregularities in the granting of pardons, and wiretapping. However, another senior officer said only evidence involving the sexual offenses is well-founded.

Senior police officials said they believed the investigative team will not be able to decide whether the assault of A. allegedly committed by Katsav falls under the definition of rape.

The officers said the act the complainant described is in fact rape. However, it is uncertain that the evidence collected, in addition to testimony, prove it was rape rather than prohibited consensual sexual relations. The police, therefore, will not take a stand on the matter, but rather are expected to submit the evidence and let the State Prosecutor's Office reach its own conclusions, they said.

Over the past few days, the investigative team has been collecting evidence from various sources to either support or refute material already in its possession.

The head of the team, Brigadier General Yoav Segalovitch, is expected to consolidate the police's opinion on the case as early as today, and decide how the material is to be presented to the State Prosecutor's Office.

By law, the police do not recommend an indictment, but report whether it has put together an evidential basis for an indictment.

Most of the investigative material has been given to the State Prosecutor's Office over the past few weeks to streamline the handling of the case given its sensitivity.