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Israeli president accepts plea, rape charge dropped

A possible rape charge against disgraced Israeli President Moshe Katsav has been dropped after he accepted a plea bargain for sexual offenses yesterday, in the worst scandal involving an Israeli leader.

Attorney General Menachem Mazuz unveiled the deal -- which has already been criticized by women's activists and scorned by the local media -- at a news conference nearly a year after the allegations first surfaced.

"Under the bargain, President Katsav admitted responsibility for a long series of sex offences, including harassment and indecent acts," Mazuz told a news conference carried live on Israeli TV.

"Mr Katsav will also pay damages and submit his resignation," Mazuz said.

The plea bargain will see the scandal-ridden Katsav become Israel's first head of state go to court for sex offenses. But crucially, allegations of rape were dropped from the charge sheet, leaving Katsav with a suspended prison sentence and a hefty fine, rather than 16 years behind bars had he been found guilty in court of rape.

The terms of deal saw the father-of-five admit guilt for the first time -- albeit to lesser charges -- after months of strenuously denying all accusations levelled against him in a scandal that broke near a year ago.

The original allegations of raping a female employee when he was tourism minister, sexual harassment, abuse of power, breach of trust and accepting bribes are the most serious ever levelled against an Israeli leader.

But he is Israel's second consecutive president to be forced out of office over a scandal. The late Ezer Weizman was forced to resign in 2000 after revelations he received around US$450,000 from a French millionaire while a member of parliament.

Local media widely predicted that Katsav would accept the offer, largely to spare himself and his long-suffering family further humiliation, but criticized a deal allowing the powerful to dodge the full thrust of the law.

Katsav temporarily suspended himself from duty in January and retains immunity from prosecution as long as he technically remained head of state. His seven-year mandate expires next month.

Nobel peace laurate Shimon Peres was elected Katsav's successor and is to be sworn in president on July 15.
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