TEL AVIV: Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav was convicted of two counts of rape Thursday, capping a four-year scandal that shocked the Jewish state and leaves him facing at least eight years in prison. As a Tel Aviv court handed down the verdict, which also convicted Katsav on charges of sexual harassment, indecent acts and obstruction of justice, the visibly distraught 65-year-old muttered “No, no.” The ruling comes after a trial that lasted a year-and-a-half and included harrowing accusations, with depictions of Katsav as a sexual predator who routinely harassed his female staff. The former head of state was accused of twice raping a victim identified as “Aleph” during his term as tourism minister, and sexually assaulting and harassing two other women while he was president. Katsav proclaimed his innocence throughout the investigation into the rape and harassment charges. He initially accepted a plea agreement that would have seen him admit the lesser accusations and pay a fine in exchange for prosecutors dropping the rape charges, but later changed his mind, voiding the deal and saying he wanted to clear his name in court. He was forced to resign as president, handing the office to former rival Shimon Peres. Katsav accused his victims of attempting to blackmail him and charged that he was the victim of “a lynching” by prosecutors and the media. – Agence France
