Israeli president grilled over sex scandal

Allegations of sexual shenanigans and that his office granted unlawful pardons may cost the Iranian-born head of state his job, which could make him Israel's second consecutive president to resign amid scandal.

A team of investigators arrived at his Jerusalem residence in the morning to question Katsav about what the Maariv daily said were the criminal offences of prohibited sexual relations, exploitation of status and possibly even rape.

"I can confirm that the investigators are there at the president's residence," said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. He said the questioning would last for a couple of hours, but provided no details on their nature.

Wednesday marks the first time that 61-year-old Katsav has been grilled by investigators since the damaging allegations first surfaced a few months ago.

Two days ago, police raided his home and office, confiscating computers and documents in what is fast becoming the biggest of a series of sexual and financial scandals compromising senior Israeli state figures.

Maariv said that, according to one senior police officer, investigators already have enough evidence to indict Katzav.

One woman, a former senior employee in Katsav's office, has testified to being coerced into sex with the president after he hinted she would otherwise lose her job, Maariv said. She was reported to have passed a lie-detector test.

The case allegedly came to light when a woman tried to blackmail Katsav for money and a job, threatening to file sexual harassment charges, at which point the president alerted Attorney General Menachem Mazuz.

Mazuz on July 12 then ordered a preliminary investigation into harassment charges, the same day Israel's war against Shiite militia Hezbollah erupted.

Katsav also faces allegations that his office granted illegal pardons to prisoners at the request of associates, local media reported.

MPs have already begun to demand that the president, a former transport and tourism minister, step down.

A simple request by 20 MPs could see him summoned before a parliamentary commission where a three-quarters majority could lead to a hearing before the full parliament. A vote by 90 of the 120 MPs could see him forced to resign.

Formerly leader of the opposition Likud party, Katsav emigrated to Israel shortly after the Jewish state was founded in 1948 and was elected the largely ceremonial head of state in 2000 as the first conservative to hold the post.

Scandal forced his predecessor, the late Ezer Weizman, to resign after revelations that he received around 450,000 dollars as "gifts" from French millionaire Edouard Saroussi in the 1980s, when Weizman was an MP and minister.

A string of contemporary scandals, also implicating Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, tarnished the credibility of the government already weathering stormy waters over public anger at perceived mismanagement of the Lebanon war.

Justice Minister Haim Ramon resigned on Sunday after the attorney general decided to indict him over sexual harassment accusations from a woman soldier.

Tzahi Hanegbi, another senior member of Olmert's Kadima party and chairman of parliament's foreign affairs and defense committee, is under investigation for fraud, perjury and breach of trust as environment minister three years ago.

Olmert, who has seen his approval ratings plummet in the three months since he took office, also faces a possible property deal probe.

Ramon was yesterday formally charged in the Tel Aviv district court but he did not attend the hearing and no date for the start of his trial was fixed, a judicial source said.

Ramon resigned after Attorney General Menachem Mazuz decided to indict him over accusations of sexual harassment.

The soldier reportedly said the justice minister had tried "to kiss her in an aggressive manner" during a social gathering at the defence ministry in Tel Aviv, days after Israel launched its 34-day war in Lebanon.