Strauss-Kahn accuser has shady character, probers admit

Rape Charges Against Strauss-Kahn May Be Dropped

Dominique Strauss-Kahn's accuser has been found to have inconsistencies with her story by police investigators who looked into the rape allegations she made against the former chief of the International Monetary Fund.

The maid from Guinea worked at the Sofitel in Manhattan where Strauss-Kahn was staying and alleged that the Frenchman sexually assaulted her on May 14. But according to officials, the woman had repeatedly lied since then and there are many loopholes found in her story.

Once considered a strong and airtight case against Strauss-Kahn, the rape case is now seen as weak enough that charges against the former French presidential aspirant may be dropped.

The 32-year-old maid is also being linked to a number of people suspected to be engaged in criminal activity particularly money laundering and sale of illegal drugs.

Cyrus R. Vance Jr., the Manhattan district attorney, has confirmed that they were having problems with the credibility of Strauss-Kahn's accuser and prosecutors plan to discuss the results of their probe to the defense. The D.A.'s office may seek a guilty plea to misdemeanor charges to salvage the case but even that may not be feasible now.

Strauss-Kahn could be freed from house arrest and the enormous bail imposed upon him by the judge could be lifted if the maid's story does not hold up to scrutiny.

The defense team of Strauss-Kahn have earlier said that they will show the dubious circumstances behind the accusations against their client and the shady background of Strauss-Kahn's accuser. The current development in the high-profile case suggests they may have executed their strategy perfectly.

Posted by James Fried on Friday July 01 2011, 10:52 AM EST. Ref: NYT. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Finance. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0