Strauss-Kahn Arrested on Prostitution Ring Allegations
Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been formally arrested by French authorities during a probe into an alleged prostitution ring. The 62-year-old former head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) turned himself in on Tuesday at 8:55am in Lille and is being held for questioning over accusations he helped with the acquisition of prostitutes and benefited from fraud.
Investigators are trying to make certain if Strauss-Kahn knew that the women at orgies in Paris and Washington were prostitutes before he had sex with them. They also want to determine if he was aware how the women were paid. It’s alleged that the money came out of corporate funds belonging to a major construction firm in France. It’s expected that the former politician will either be released after 48 hours or put under formal investigation, which is no better than being charged.
Strauss-Kahn isn’t the only person that has been arrested in the Carlton affair, which was named after the luxury hotel in Lille that was the centre of the supposed prostitution ring. Eight people, including a police commissioner and two Lille businessmen that are linked to Strauss-Kahn, have been arrested.
It’s not illegal to pay for prostitutes in France, but it is illegal to acquire them for someone else and to use corporate funds to pay for them. Strauss-Kahn has insisted not knowing the women were prostitutes and denies doing anything wrong. Henri Leclerk, his lawyer, told Europe 1 (French radio) in December that his client could have easily not known, as people aren’t always dressed at these kinds of parties. He challenged listeners to distinguish a nude prostitute from any other nude woman.