The head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has been denied bail when arraigned on sexual attack charges. He allegedly tried to rape a maid in his hotel room, and was arrested and booked before he left on a flight to France. He is being kept at Riker’s Island for the moment.
Sexual charges for financer to face
The IMF head was brought into a NYC courtroom on Monday, May 16 and arraigned on charges of sexual assault and false imprisonment, states the Guardian. This will be one of the highest profile sex scandals in years to come out. He was accused of sexually assaulting a main in the Times Square hotel he was staying at, the Sofitel, which is why Dominique Straus-Kahn was detained Saturday for false imprisonment and sexual attack. According to Reuters, he was boarding a plan for France when he was detained. Monday he went before a judge. The attorneys that were prosecuting said he would be a flight risk. They said that if he had gone to France, the country would not have extradited him. He was denied bail and is now being held at Riker’s Island Correctional Facility.
International Monetary Fund continues operations
Regardless of the head of the organization’s imprisonment, the International Monetary Fund is still carrying on, according to the Los Angeles Times. Kahn missed a meeting with several finance ministers in Europe in Brussels because he was in arraignment. This meeting discussed the chance of a joint bailout package for the Portugal debt crisis between the European Union and IMF. There is still a Greece debt crisis. The topic of sending more aid was to be discussed as well. The headline “the chambermaid blocks Greece!” was shown in an Athens newspaper while the austerity measures in the country that were forced already have been bad for Strauss-Kahn. During all of this, Strauss-Kahn is stuck in The Tombs holding cells waiting for his next hearing. He is near the Riker’s Island Courthouse.
Reaction to scandal
Current president Nikolas Sarkozy was designed to have Strauss-Kahn as competition in the coming election as he is a significant figure in the Socialist party in France. It is possible that Francois Hollande or Marine Aubry will replace him. The Telegraph reports that his job at IMF is up for grabs. Many individuals are ready to take the position too. Even though current P.M. David Cameron won’t endorse previous English prime minister Gordon Brown, he really wants the job. Axel Weber as a former finance minister of Germany is a possibility for the job. Christine Lagarde is also in the running as the current France finance minister.
Information from
The Telegraph
telegraph.co.uk/finance/dominique-strauss-kahn/8517119/Christine-Lagarde-and-Axel-Weber-front-runners-for-Dominique-Strauss-Kahns-IMF-role.html
Los Angeles Times
latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/05/ron-paul-imf-dominique-strauss-kahn.html
Reuters
reuters.com/article/2011/05/16/us-strausskahn-arrest-idUSTRE74D29F20110516
Los Angeles Times
latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-euro-talks-20110517,0,2339845.story
The Guardian
guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/17/dominique-strauss-kahn-court-appearance
The Guardian
guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/15/strauss-kahn-arrest-hits-french-elections
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