Judges investigating the “Carlton Hotel” prostitution case in Lille, northern France, decided to prosecute former IMF director Dominique Strauss-Kahn and the other 12 people, for “aggravated pimping charges”, Lille prosecutor office announced Friday. The 14th culprit in this case was sued for “complicity in fraud and breach of trust,” it reads a statement.
The prosecutor dropped the charges on June 11 brought against the former director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), saying that “there is insufficient evidence.”
At the same time, the charges brought against the former director of Eiffage group in the northern region, Jean-Luc Vergina, were dropped and the other 12 people involved in this case were referred to a correctional tribunal. Prosecutor did not say whether the office will appeal the order issued by the judge Friday morning.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, aged 64, was indicted on March 26, 2012 for “aggravated pimping as part of a group” after taking part in parties with prostitutes in Paris and Washington. He said he did not know these women, who were presented to him by a police commissioner and businessmen were prostitutes. The case was named after the Carlton luxury hotel in Lille, whose owner, director and responsible for public relations were also indicted.
One of Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers, Richard Malka, who denounced a “relentless” campaign against his client, told AFP Friday that they will appear at the trial “to denounce the absurdity and abnormality of this aggravated pimping complaint.”
Lille judges abandoned the “organized group” labeling that could justify a criminal trial, and also the “association to commit crimes,” charge according to the indictment drawn up by the prosecutor.
In December, a confidential financial settlement between Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Nafissatou Diallo, a hotel maid that accused him of sexual assault has closed the scandal at the Hotel Sofitel in New York, which forced the French Socialist former minister to resign from the leadership of the IMF and ended his presidential ambitions in France.
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