- Dominique Strauss-Kahn will be held in custody until ‘Wednesday at least’ before bail can be considered
- Former International Monetary Fund chief denies knowing that the women he slept with were prostitutes
- Allegations emerge that married 62-year-old had relationships with at least ten call girls
By
Neil Sears
Last updated at 1:43 AM on 22nd February 2012
Dominique Strauss-Kahn was last night being held in police custody as officers questioned him over an international prostitution ring.
The disgraced former head of the International Monetary Fund – who lost his job amid claims he tried to rape a New York chambermaid – could face jail over the ‘sex parties’ he has admitted attending around the world.
Strauss-Kahn, 62, whose wife Anne Sinclair is standing by him, has made the extraordinary claim that he was unaware the women at the orgies were prostitutes because ‘they were naked at the time’.
Arrested: Former International Monetary Fund director Dominique Strauss-Kahn arrives by car for questioning in Lille, Northern France. He faces criminal charges relating to an illegal prostitute racket
Huge interest: Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s car is surrounded by the media today. He will be held in custody until Wednesday at least before bail can be considered
But detectives have told Strauss-Kahn, who once had hopes of becoming president of France, that there is evidence linking him to ‘complicity in pimping’ and ‘misuse of corporate assets’.
He will face criminal charges if prosecutors can prove the prostitutes were being paid with fraudulently obtained money – in this case funds from a major construction company – and that Strauss-Kahn knew about it.
His dreams of high office a distant memory, he was yesterday driven to Lille police station in northern France in a Mercedes limousine with blacked-out windows after being summoned for questioning.
He will be held in custody until today at least before bail can be considered, according to a source close to the case.
Strauss-Kahn was a leading member of the French Socialist Party who planned to run for president this year, after years of quietly and diligently climbing the political ladder.
Couple: Dominique Strauss-Kahn is pictured here previously with his wife Anne Sinclair. She has caused astonishment by staying with her husband, despite him admitting to numerous affairs
But last May he was engulfed in scandal and had to resign from his prestigious post at the IMF after being accused of attempting to rape Nafissatou Diallo, a 32-year-old chambermaid, in a New York hotel.
He insisted the sexual encounter was ‘inappropriate’ but not violent, and prosecutors eventually dropped the charges because of doubts about the alleged victim’s credibility.
Alleged victim: Nafissatou Diallo
She is still threatening a civil action. Shortly afterwards French writer Tristane Banon came forward and accused Strauss-Kahn of trying to rape her during an interview for a book she was writing in 2002, when she was 23.
French prosecutors dropped their investigation last October, saying the incident had happened too long ago to be taken to trial.
Strauss-Kahn admits taking part in orgies and having what he describes as an ‘uninhibited sex life’, but insists ‘he never paid a centime’ for it.
‘I have a horror of prostitutes and pimping,’ he said. Although using prostitutes is legal in France, supplying them to others and misusing company funds to pay for them are not.
Strauss-Kahn is accused of being involved in a high-level pimping ring which supplied the women to men at the sex parties.
There is also a suggestion some of the women may have been under-age.
Strauss-Kahn,
who lives in Paris with his determinedly loyal wife, allegedly attended
parties arranged by the ring at a hotel and restaurant in the French
capital and, most recently, in Washington DC just before the attempted
rape scandal.
His mobile phone records are said to show he used the services of at least ten prostitutes from France and Belgium.
In
December, his lawyer, Henri Leclerc, revealed Strauss-Kahn’s
extraordinary defence – he did not know the women were prostitutes.
Questions to answer: Journalists film and take pictures of disgraced former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn as he enters the gendarme station today
He
said: ‘He could easily not have known, because as you can imagine, at
these kinds of parties you’re not always dressed, and I challenge you to
distinguish a naked prostitute from any other naked woman.’
Strauss-Kahn had previously asked to speak to judges leading the inquiry to put the record straight. The prostitution ring is said to have operated out of Lille’s upmarket Carlton Hotel, and a number of men have already been charged with organising orgies in what the French press has called ‘the Carlton affair’.
A building company executive is also accused of using its funds to entertain guests at the parties.
If convicted of ‘complicity in pimping’, Strauss-Kahn would face a maximum prison sentence of five years.
‘Misuse of corporate assets’ carries a seven-year jail-term.
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This is now not about morals or ethics. It’s now a question of law. Did he break the law?
DSK lost his reputation long ago in NY along with his job and a chance at the presidency.
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The man seems to spend 90% of his waking hours in a naked orgy. I bet the only time he gets dressed is for court appearances. When did he ever find time to do the things he was actually supposed to be doing?
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…and what’s more amazing to me is that apparently no one is questioning the mans participation in these orgies to begin with – prostitutes or no prostitutes! What’s the moral character of someone who partakes in these types of orgies? Is it the behavior of an ethical and moral family man or is it the behavior of a lying cheat who doesn’t give a crap about ethics? Isn’t it a sign of someone out of control? Is that someone you would want in a position of power? What is happening to the ethical and moral standards of our world when we talk about participating in sex orgies as being “normal” as long as there are no prostitutes!!!
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These “naked” women he he thought were “not prostitutes” are not exactly sleeping with him for his looks are they?
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His Viagra expenses must be amazing!
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Didn,t know they were prostitutes – the man is barking mad! He was obviously invited to these “events”, or was anyone allowed to just walk in off the streets – I don,t think so – and in an exclusive Hotel, the women were apparently naked and he still thinks they aren,t prostitutes, he obviously is the biggest liar in the world or he should have gone to Specsavers.
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Ick!!!
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The way to tell DSK, if a naked woman is a prostitute or not is very easy. She will be the one advising you that she accepts cheques or credit cards after you have just got your rocks off. Time to put some bromide in this dirty old goat’s tea methinks..!
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And, I challenge you to distinguish a clothed prostitute from any other clothed woman.
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Stop his supply of viagra and he will be finished.
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