WORLD NEWS - The ex Israeli president Moshe Katsav was convicted of two counts of rape, and would face at least eight years in jail. He was alleged to assault a former employee, in what the Israeli prime minister lamented "a sad day for Israel".
The verdict also said that Mr. Katsav guilty of sexually harassing a second employee over the four year scandal that literally shocked the country.
The presiding judge, George Kara gave the verdict, saying Mr. Katsav had engaged in a campaign of vilification against the plaintiffs. He read the verdict, saying the the accused placed her testimony with appropriate evidence and told the truth.
The courtroom was packed and when the verdict was read, Mr. Katsav, 65, was visibly crestfallen and muttered "no, no", while his son screamed, ''It's not true, it's not true''.
Moreover, Mr. Katsav was accused of indecent acts, harassing witnesses and obstructing justice.
The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu said in his message that the verdict proved that before the eyes of laws, everyone was equal and every woman had a right of her own body.
Mr. Katsav was elected as a president of Israel in the year 2000, before he began his political career in 1977 when he elected to the Knesset as a member of the Likud party and served as an MP. He was the second Israeli after Ezer Weizman to leave office prematurely.
January 01, 2011 | 0
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