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Prosecutors Likely to Drop Charges Against Strauss-Kahn, Report Says

By Tom Liddy | August 21, 2011 10:46am | Updated on August 21, 2011 11:54am
Strauss-Kahn at a bail hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court.
Strauss-Kahn at a bail hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court.
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Pool photo by Richard Drew

MANHATTAN — Prosecutors are expected to ask a judge to drop the sexual assault case against former International Monetary Fund boss Dominque Strauss-Kahn, according to the New York Post.

The news, which could signal the end of the crumbling case against the French pol, comes as prosecutors scheduled a meeting with Strauss-Kahn's accuser, Nafissatou Diallo, ahead of his court date Tuesday, the New York Times said.

According to the Post, prosecutors are expected to file a motion saying that the indictment against Strauss-Kahn, accused of assaulting Diallo last May in the Midtown hotel where she worked, cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case against Strauss-Kahn began to unravel after the DA's office sent a note to defense attorneys assailing the victim's credibility on a number of fronts, including details of the case and aspects of her personal life.

Kenneth Thompson, who represents Diallo, also believes that the meeting with prosecutors, slated for 3 p.m. Monday, is an indication that the charges may be dismissed, the Times said.

Thompson received a short letter from the DA's office on Aug. 19 calling for the meeting "for the purpose of my explaining to [Diallo] what I anticipate will occur in Court on the following day," said the note, signed by ADA John McConnell. The letter was obtained by the Times.

“My interpretation of that letter is that they’re going to announce that they’re dismissing the case entirely, or some of the charges,” Thompson said, according to the paper.

In a French radio interview Sunday, the attorney said that his client "feels abandoned by the Manhattan district attorney" and "that she's being investigated more than Strauss-Kahn," according to the Associated Press.

On Friday, DNAinfo.com's "On the Inside" column reported that new holes had emerged in the case, leaving the charges against Strauss-Kahn teetering on the brink.

Among them: the final translation of the phone call between Diallo and her boyfriend included a conversation about how much money could be made off the case.

A source also told DNAinfo that some of the bruising that Diallo suffered may have been the result of sexual activity she engaged in as recently as a day before the assault.

Earlier this month, Thompson filed a civil suit against Strauss-Kahn alleging that "he humiliated, degraded, violated and robbed Ms. Diallo of her dignity as a woman."

The DA's office declined comment and Thompson did not respond to a call and email for comment.

A call to Strauss-Kahn's attorney, Benjamin Brafman, was not immediately returned.