Secret talks being held on plea bargain in Katsav rape case

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"The Justice Ministry issued a statement Wednesday confirming that it had been holding secret negotiations with the defense team of outgoing president Moshe Katsav over the last month, in efforts to formulate a plea bargain surrounding the rape charges he is facing.

Katsav suspended himself from the post of president after he was charged with rape.

Channel 10 news reported Wednesday that the plea bargain would entail a revision of the charges, removing the rape clause and replacing it with lesser sex crimes. The charges would remain serious, but the rape charge is apparently the count that Katsav's lawyers fear most.

According to Channel 10, the plea bargain would stipulate that Katsav confess to having intimate relations with at least one of the complainants against him."

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/875840.html


Rape Crisis Center: Katsav plea bargain sends appalling message

"A plea bargain for former president Moshe Katsav sends an appalling message, said Tal Kramer-Vadai, director-general of the sexual assault crisis center of an expected deal in which rape charges against Katsav will be dropped in exchange for a guilty plea on lesser charges.

"We all need to raise an eyebrow. This sends an appalling and painful message to all victims of sexual assault in Israel. It only shows that powerful people can manipulate the system," she told Ynet."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3418426,00.html

[Scurrilous]

1. President Katsav signs plea agreement on sex crimes, will resign

<snip>

"Outgoing President Moshe Katsav signed a plea agreement with state prosecutors Thursday, according to which the rape charges against him will be dropped and he will not be sentenced to an active prison sentence.

In addition, the president will submit his resignation to Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik later in the day. Katsav's resignation will take effect 48 hours after it is officially submitted.

Attorney General Menachem Mazuz announced the plea agreement in a press conference Wednesday morning, saying an indictment would be filed against the president. According to Mazuz, the indictment would include among other things one count of indecent assault, adding that the count is a "serious criminal charge."

The most severe charges Katsav was facing - two counts of rape - were removed from the indictment.

Katsav will not serve any jail time or do community service for the sexual offenses he is accused of committing. "The president will plead guilty to three charges, and will receive a suspended sentence and be ordered to pay compensation to the complainants," said Mazuz, adding that most of the complaints against Katsav were deemed to be either too old or difficult to prove.

Mazuz said he believes the agreement was in the public's interest. "This agreement minimizes the harm to the institution of the presidency," said the attorney general. "It was important to spare Israel from seeing a president on trial."

more

[LeftishBrit]

2. Deja vu anyone?

'Mazuz said he believes the agreement was in the public's interest. "This agreement minimizes the harm to the institution of the presidency," said the attorney general. "It was important to spare Israel from seeing a president on trial."'

Sounds like the arguments used for pardoning Nixon and letting Agnew cop a plea. I don't know why the public have to be spared seeing their leaders on trial; don't know about the Americans or Israelis, but I think the Brits would be practically dancing in the streets if Tony Blair was put on trial.