Thaindian News

New York, July 1 (IANS) Former International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was released by a judge in New York Friday on his own recognizance, following serious credibility issues with the woman who accused him of sexual assault, CNN reported.

He faced sexual assault charge levelled by a 32-year-old immigrant who worked as a maid at New York’s Sofitel Hotel. The maid had alleged that Strauss-Kahn attacked her, tore off her clothes and tried to force her to perform oral sex in his hotel room May 14.

Strauss-Kahn resigned from the IMF and was required to post $1 million bail and a $5 million bond. He also agreed to remain under 24-hour home confinement while wearing an ankle monitor.

Though Strauss-Kahn’s case changed dramatically, prosecutors said: “We are not dismissing the case.”

His release significantly eases the extraordinary bail conditions that had been previously ordered.

Prosecutors have raised credibility issues so grievous that incontrovertible DNA evidence of sexual contact recovered from Strauss-Kahn’s hotel suite may not be enough to overcome them, a source familiar with the case told CNN.

They were expected to notify the court Friday of the credibility issues which could collapse the felony case.

“It’s just an extraordinary, extraordinary development considering this case was brought with such great fanfare by the Manhattan district attorney and they very loudly trumpeted the credibility of the accuser,” said Jeffrey Toobin, CNN’s senior legal analyst.

“What makes it even more extraordinary is that the (DNA) evidence apparently shows a sexual encounter between Dominique Strauss-Kahn and the woman who is the maid. Yet even with DNA evidence, the prosecution is considering dropping the case. That shows how bad her credibility may be.”

On Thursday, prosecutors had disclosed the problems in a meeting with Strauss-Kahn’s defense, a source familiar with the case told CNN.