Strauss-Kahn Released Without Bail

Posted July 1st, 2011 at 12:00 pm (UTC-5)
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A New York judge has released former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn without bail or home confinement in the sexual assault case against him.

The decision Friday comes after prosecutors raised questions about the credibility of the woman who accused Strauss-Kahn of assault. None of the charges were dropped, and prosecutors said they will continue investigating.

Strauss-Kahn did not get his passport returned to him, so he will be unable to go back to his home country of France.

The veteran French politician was arrested and charged in May on charges he attacked a 32-year-old maid who came to clean his suite at a luxury New York City hotel.

The New York Times says the accuser, an immigrant from Guinea, has repeatedly lied to prosecutors since making her initial allegations. The Times says serious discrepancies have been uncovered about the woman’s background, with issues involving her application for asylum, along with possible links to criminal activities such as drug dealing and money laundering. The accuser’s attorney says she is telling the truth about the sexual assault.

Strauss-Khan has pleaded not guilty to the charges. In Friday’s hearing the judge returned his $6 million bail and released Strauss-Kahn from house arrest.

Strauss-Kahn resigned as managing director of the IMF days after his arrest. Former French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde was recently chosen by the IMF board to succeed him.

Before his arrest, Strauss-Kahn was considered a leading contender to run as the Socialist party candidate against French President Nicolas Sarkozy in the 2012 presidential election.