“These are extremely serious charges, based on the grand jury’s determination that the evidence supports the commission of nonconsensual, forced sexual acts,” Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. said in a brief statement.
A formal arraignment will be held June 6. Strauss-Kahn’s attorneys have said that he plans to plead not guilty.
Strauss-Kahn resigned from the IMF Wednesday night, saying in a letter to the fund’s board that he wanted “to protect this institution which I have served with honor and devotion” and concentrate on his legal defense.
His departure intensified a campaign for his replacement as European nations angled to retain the job for one of their own and developing nations argued that there should be a broader competition for the post.
French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde was given an early edge by some analysts as Europe’s likely consensus choice. She has been influential in designing financial bailout packages for Greece, Ireland and Portugal and pushing for a broader effort to rebuild Europe’s economy. As a woman, she would represent a step toward diversifying the IMF’s top management while allowing a European to complete Strauss-Kahn’s term, which expires next year.
U.S. officials, who hold an influential voice as the IMF’s top contributor, withheld any immediate endorsement, however, saying that they wanted a selection process that was “open” and swift.
The board began its discussions Thursday, agency officials said.
Strauss-Kahn, 62, a charismatic figure whose command of the IMF laid the groundwork for a possible run next year for the French presidency, is expected to spend one more night on Rikers Island before being released under strict conditions to ensure that he remains in New York until his trial.
He will be confined to a Manhattan apartment, under 24-hour electronic monitoring, and required to hire an armed guard to watch over him — arrangements that prosecutors said could cost Strauss-Kahn as much as $200,000 a month.
In addition to $1 million in cash, he is being required to post a $5 million insurance bond secured by his wife’s Georgetown home or other assets that would be surrendered if he does not appear for trial.
Vance’s office had opposed bail, arguing that Strauss-Kahn was a man with the means, influence and incentive to leave the country for his native France, where weak extradition laws would make it difficult for New York to compel his return.
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