Strauss-Kahn will be cleared of alleged crimes: Lawyer

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]





NEW YORK: Fallen IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn will plead not guilty and be cleared of attempting to rape a hotel chambermaid, his main lawyer said on Sunday.

The French politician, until recently considered a serious contender for the French presidency, is holed up in a Broadway apartment under armed guard while efforts were made to find him a more permanent home to prepare his defense.

Benjamin Brafman, who handled the child sex case against the late Michael Jackson, told Israeli newspaper Haaretz he was confident that Strauss-Kahn would go free.

"He'll plead not guilty and in the end he'll be acquitted," Brafman said during a family visit to Israel.

"Nothing is certain, but from what I've discerned in the investigation, he will be acquitted. He has impressed me very much. Despite the circumstances, he's doing well."

Strauss-Kahn, 62, faces seven charges over the alleged attempted rape of a worker at the Sofitel hotel in New York.

Prosecutors told a bail hearing last week that they are building up a "strong" case and that the evidence so far backs the woman's claims. There has been no announcement however on whether police have found DNA evidence.

Brafman also told France's TF1 television, in a brief interview in Israel, that he's confident that "the charges will be proved false" and that he's working to restore Strauss-Kahn's "very good name."

Strauss-Kahn paid $1 million in cash and deposited a $5 million insurance bond to secure bail. He must wear an electronic bracelet and live under constant video camera surveillance with an armed private guard -- and pay for those services.

Security conditions for his bail alone cost more than $200,000 a month, prosecutors say.

The ex-IMF chief currently resides at the Empire Building at 71 Broadway, a stone's throw from Wall Street and the Ground Zero site of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Tour buses going by the building point out its now notorious temporary resident.

Strauss-Kahn is only allowed to leave that apartment for a medical emergency though he will be able to go to his lawyer, a doctor or a synagogue when a more permanent home is found.

He will have to appear in court again on June 6 to formally enter his plea, with a full trial likely months away. (AFP)