DSK arrested

[Christian]

I'm not someone who quickly believes in conspiracies but this is a very bizarre story. There are so many different components and new contradicting information surfaces every day.

I'll try to collect some:

First DSK denied everything. Apparently his lawyers advised against this, now he says he wanted to have consentual sex with the employee of the hotel.

It has been said that he left his wallet and his cell phone at the hotel. However it has also been reported that he was at lunch with his daughter during the time of the alleged crime and went straight to the airport after that.

DSK can board any Air France plane at any time without reserving, however he chose to board the plane where he had reserved a seat for months.

His bail has been denied and he has been transfered to a high security prison because there is "high flight risk". He is a world-famous politician, how is he going to break out of jail and where is he going to hide?!

Right after DSK's arrest, it has been known that Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is pregnant. Are the opposing images at the same time just a coincidence? In any case Sarkozy is now the good "père de famille", whereas DSK is the "chaud lapin", the perverse.

There have been rumours that a member of UMP, Sarkozy's party, was sending text messages about DSK's arrest 20 minutes before it actually occured.

I'm sure there is much more information and more rumours that I have not yet heard.

All I know is François Hollande and Ségolène Royale have failed before to constitute a serious opposition to Sarkozy in the presidential elections and I fear that now it will come down to Marine LePen versus Sarkozy ... may God (or whatever deity) help us.

(please don't get me wrong, if DSK did indeed do it I am all for him being judged as everyone else, I just wanted to point out that there are many weird things that don't add up)

 

[usedtobefast]

ahole 1st class
here in the USA, we don't condone that crap.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

I'm not someone who quickly believes in conspiracies but this is a very bizarre story. There are so many different components and new contradicting information surfaces every day.

I'll try to collect some:

First DSK denied everything. Apparently his lawyers advised against this, now he says he wanted to have consentual sex with the employee of the hotel.

It has been said that he left his wallet and his cell phone at the hotel. However it has also been reported that he was at lunch with his daughter during the time of the alleged crime and went straight to the airport after that.

DSK can board any Air France plane at any time without reserving, however he chose to board the plane where he had reserved a seat for months.

His bail has been denied and he has been transfered to a high security prison because there is "high flight risk". He is a world-famous politician, how is he going to break out of jail and where is he going to hide?!

Right after DSK's arrest, it has been known that Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is pregnant. Are the opposing images at the same time just a coincidence? In any case Sarkozy is now the good "père de famille", whereas DSK is the "chaud lapin", the perverse.

There have been rumours that a member of UMP, Sarkozy's party, was sending text messages about DSK's arrest 20 minutes before it actually occured.

I'm sure there is much more information and more rumours that I have not yet heard.

All I know is François Hollande and Ségolène Royale have failed before to constitute a serious opposition to Sarkozy in the presidential elections and I fear that now it will come down to Marine LePen versus Sarkozy ... may God (or whatever deity) help us.

(please don't get me wrong, if DSK did indeed do it I am all for him being judged as everyone else, I just wanted to point out that there are many weird things that don't add up)

sounds like this DSK likes to have his way. Well he ran into the wrong 30something who decided his PERV a$$ is not going to make it this time. TOOOOOOOOOOOOO bad for his dumb a$$ that the evidence is stacked against his ALLEGED crime! TO the ISLAND BIACH.

 

[Merckx index]

It has been said that he left his wallet and his cell phone at the hotel. However it has also been reported that he was at lunch with his daughter during the time of the alleged crime and went straight to the airport after that.

It was reported elsewhere that the reason law enforcement knew he was on the plane was because after realizing he had left his cell phone at the hotel, he called them. They offered to send someone to bring the phone to him, and upon knowing where he was, informed the police. If the other story is correct, there will obviously be corroboration, beginning with the daughter.

DSK can board any Air France plane at any time without reserving, however he chose to board the plane where he had reserved a seat for months.

This actually helps make sense of one thing. I didn’t understand why, if he was scheduled to leave at a certain time, he would fool around with a maid at the last moment. But if he could miss his flight and get another, no problem. It was originally reported that he rushed out of the hotel, implying he was guilty. If that really was the case, maybe his scheduled flight was the earliest one he could get.

His bail has been denied and he has been transferred to a high security prison because there is "high flight risk". He is a world-famous politician, how is he going to break out of jail and where is he going to hide?!

I don’t understand this, either. Given nothing has been proven, it’s one person’s word against his, I don’t see why bail would be denied. Based on what has been reported so far, his case seems somewhat reminiscent of that of Kobe Bryant. Bryant was allowed to return to his team in California and actually played during playoffs while his case was going on.

There have been rumours that a member of UMP, Sarkozy's party, was sending text messages about DSK's arrest 20 minutes before it actually occurred.

There has been speculation that he was set up. The problem I have with this is that the maid was reported to be a long-time employee of the hotel. Does not sound like the type of woman you would pay to get a political opponent in trouble. There are surely professionals who would be glad to do the job.

As with the Bryant case, I could see her as possibly someone who was attracted to a man of great wealth and power, but resisted at a certain point. Or if you really want to stretch it, someone who fell for him, but then sought revenge when she realized he was going to leave her. But her story is consistent with this guy’s history, and even if it was consensual, it still wouldn’t make sense to deny everything initially, not for a French politician.

Whatever the truth of the matter, he still sounds like a sleazeball. A $3000 a night hotel suite? Any political figure spending that much money, even if it’s own, for a hotel room is very much out of touch with the rest of humanity. For someone calling himself a socialist, and entrusted in activities that are vital to restoring the world economy, the hypocrisy is screaming.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

It was reported elsewhere that the reason law enforcement knew he was on the plane was because after realizing he had left his cell phone at the hotel, he called them. They offered to send someone to bring the phone to him, and upon knowing where he was, informed the police. If the other story is correct, there will obviously be corroboration, beginning with the daughter.



This actually helps make sense of one thing. I didn’t understand why, if he was scheduled to leave at a certain time, he would fool around with a maid at the last moment. But if he could miss his flight and get another, no problem. It was originally reported that he rushed out of the hotel, implying he was guilty. If that really was the case, maybe his scheduled flight was the earliest one he could get.



I don’t understand this, either. Given nothing has been proven, it’s one person’s word against his, I don’t see why bail would be denied. Based on what has been reported so far, his case seems somewhat reminiscent of that of Kobe Bryant. Bryant was allowed to return to his team in California and actually played during playoffs while his case was going on.



There has been speculation that he was set up. The problem I have with this is that the maid was reported to be a long-time employee of the hotel. Does not sound like the type of woman you would pay to get a political opponent in trouble. There are surely professionals who would be glad to do the job.

As with the Bryant case, I could see her as possibly someone who was attracted to a man of great wealth and power, but resisted at a certain point. Or if you really want to stretch it, someone who fell for him, but then sought revenge when she realized he was going to leave her. But her story is consistent with this guy’s history, and even if it was consensual, it still wouldn’t make sense to deny everything initially, not for a French politician.

Whatever the truth of the matter, he still sounds like a sleazeball. A $3000 a night hotel suite? Any political figure spending that much money, even if it’s own, for a hotel room is very much out of touch with the rest of humanity. For someone calling himself a socialist, and entrusted in activities that are vital to restoring the world economy, the hypocrisy is screaming.

Well that settles it.

It must be a conspiracy. Much like the Bryant Case.........

 

[TERMINATOR]

I'm not someone who quickly believes in conspiracies but this is a very bizarre story. There are so many different components and new contradicting information surfaces every day.

I'll try to collect some:

First DSK denied everything. Apparently his lawyers advised against this, now he says he wanted to have consentual sex with the employee of the hotel.

It has been said that he left his wallet and his cell phone at the hotel. However it has also been reported that he was at lunch with his daughter during the time of the alleged crime and went straight to the airport after that.

DSK can board any Air France plane at any time without reserving, however he chose to board the plane where he had reserved a seat for months.

His bail has been denied and he has been transfered to a high security prison because there is "high flight risk". He is a world-famous politician, how is he going to break out of jail and where is he going to hide?!

Right after DSK's arrest, it has been known that Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is pregnant. Are the opposing images at the same time just a coincidence? In any case Sarkozy is now the good "père de famille", whereas DSK is the "chaud lapin", the perverse.

There have been rumours that a member of UMP, Sarkozy's party, was sending text messages about DSK's arrest 20 minutes before it actually occured.

I'm sure there is much more information and more rumours that I have not yet heard.

All I know is François Hollande and Ségolène Royale have failed before to constitute a serious opposition to Sarkozy in the presidential elections and I fear that now it will come down to Marine LePen versus Sarkozy ... may God (or whatever deity) help us.

(please don't get me wrong, if DSK did indeed do it I am all for him being judged as everyone else, I just wanted to point out that there are many weird things that don't add up)

European countries are frauds when it comes to prosecuting important people. In the U.S. we are only semi-frauds. DSK is going to jail for years, trust me. None of this suspended sentence nonsense that Euro courts give it.

 

[knewcleardaze]

European countries are frauds when it comes to prosecuting important people. In the U.S. we are only semi-frauds. DSK is going to jail for years, trust me. None of this suspended sentence nonsense that Euro courts give it.

Highly unlikely. I don't see that happening.

 

[Le breton]

A $3000 a night hotel suite? .........

Police says 3000S, Sofitel management says 525$.
I guess Sofitel does not give discounts to the NYPD.

 

[Le breton]

European countries are frauds when it comes to prosecuting important people. ....

Examples : Kohl, Tapie, Le Floc'h Prigent....?

US : I have not yet seen Kissinger sued for the coup in Chile, or G.W. for 100 000 dead Irakis, only Ted Kennedy for Chappaquiddick.

As a French voter I am in shock, don't know yet what to believe. If allegations are true I'm just glad this surfaces before he actually became a candidate for the next election or even the President. No doubt that given a choice between him and Sarkozy I would have voted for DSK!

 

[L'arriviste]

Personally I find the "DSK did what?" story very difficult to believe but then I don't believe a word governments or the press say these days.

DSK was going to kick Sarko's behind and turn French politics upside down at the next election, so Sarko had to call in a cross-border favour à la Assange. He saw off de Villepin and he'll do the same here.

Sarko buys into the whole Libyan thing, so gets his dose of enchufe on American soil. Somebody else entirely will benefit by taking over at the IMF (could be Lagarde, we'll see). Meantime Sarko uses the tittle-tattle fodder status of his wife to smokescreen himself while this whole thing develops.

 

[Astana1]

American politicians like to sleep with their aides. Euro pols try to bang the maids.

Heard this guy is on suicide watch.

 

[Christian]

Some new developments ...

The alleged victim is supposed to live in a facility for people with AIDS (don't see how that is relevant though)

USA distance themselves from DSK and want a new IMF head

According to a survey in France 57% of the questioned believe in a conspiracy

Meanwhile Sarkozy has not yet said a word about the affair and has forbidden the members of his gouvernment to comment on it. According to "Le Canard Enchaîné" he wants to avoid the impression of Schadenfreude

A high court official in Luxembourg says that "the task of the judiciary system is to investigate the allegations, not to humiliate the suspect", if something like this happened in Europe it would be a case for the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg

Meanwhile DSK has taken a lawyer named Brafman, who has represented Michael Jackson and Sean Combs before. He also got Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano a deal of 5 years in jail after he confessed to 19 killings for the Mafia

http://www.tageblatt.lu/nachrichten/dossier/strauss_kahn/story/-In-Luxemburg-unmoeglich--14750974

 

[Christian]

Whatever the truth of the matter, he still sounds like a sleazeball. A $3000 a night hotel suite? Any political figure spending that much money, even if it’s own, for a hotel room is very much out of touch with the rest of humanity. For someone calling himself a socialist, and entrusted in activities that are vital to restoring the world economy, the hypocrisy is screaming.

I don't know how much the suite was (someone else spoke of $525 per night) but I think as far as important international politicians go, he is by far not one of the worst. Take Berlusconi for an example, but then again at the same time that guy is off the charts, so one could still be really bad and not even come close to Bunga Bunga.

DSK has often been called a "caviar socialist", but in my opinion you don't have to be poor (or come from a poor background) to be a scoial democrate and you don't have to deny yourself luxury while helping poor people. There was an incident in Berlin a couple of years ago about the head of a large group of homeless-shelters, who drove a Maserati and lived in a villa. Some people might see this as "preaching water and drinking wine" (and I can certainly see why), but I believe this guy earned his money in an honest way, and doing good - he should be allowed to spend it however he sees fit

 

[Merckx index]

I continue to wonder why he was denied bail. I can only see this happening if the police have strong evidence of not simply intercourse, but of the use of force. Maybe there were bruises on her body? Could they prove, perhaps with DNA evidence, that he was the source of them? Because I can’t see holding someone without bail based simply on someone else’s testimony that it wasn’t consensual. I don’t know if Bryant spent any time in jail, but he wasn’t denied bail.

There are other aspects of the case that are certain to feed conspiracy theories. The maid going into the room without knocking, or without the hotel staff calling first to see if he was there—and wouldn’t they know he was if they didn’t have his key? When you pay this much for a room, isn’t one of the things you’re paying for privacy? The guy coming out of the shower and instantly so attracted to a maid that he chased her? I’m sorry, I know there are a lot of pigs in this world, but that doesn’t ring true to me. Coming on to her, yes, asking her to stay a while, but just chasing her the moment he saw her??

Then there is the police work. New Yorkers will tell you how hard it is to get the police for anything other than a 911 emergency (if even that). They were after this guy almost as soon as he left the hotel. I’m trying to visualize this. She immediately goes to her superiors and reports what happens. For an immigrant from a country where I gather raped women would never dare do such a thing, this probably wasn’t easy. It’s hard enough to think it over for a while, rest, recuperate, calm down and finally decide to do it, it’s much harder still to do it immediately, no hesitation. Unless she was seriously injured physically, but the reports indicate she wasn’t.

The hotel staff check and realize DSK must have been the man. He no longer is in the room, he checked out. They call the police who apparently can do nothing until fortuitously DSK calls the hotel and tells them he left his cell phone in his room—though it turns out he has several others and doesn’t really need it. If he was fleeing from the scene of the crime, would he really call the hotel and tell them where he was, just for a cell phone that he doesn’t need? Sounds much more likely that he felt at that time he hadn’t done anything to worry about. That doesn’t mean it was consensual. Maybe he forced himself on her and was in very heavy denial over it? Maybe he was worried about what he had done and calling the hotel and telling them where he was was his way of testing the waters, he wanted to find out if the maid had told anyone what happened? But if he had any doubts at all about whether he was in trouble with the law, I can’t see him calling the hotel.

He was taken off the plane and to a police station. The prosecutors claimed that he was officially charged, nine hours after apprehension, partly on the basis of forensic evidence. I assume a major part of that was DNA evidence, which would prove sexual intercourse and possibly forcible behavior. To get DNA evidence in that short a time you really have to be pulling strings. You have to know a lab that can do it and call them and tell them to drop everything else they are doing. And even then, the evidence might not be good enough to stand up in court, you would want to do a replicate procedure, and this would not be possible in that timeframe. This was clearly a highest priority case from the very beginning. Maybe DSK himself asked for this, so he could be cleared and return to France ASAP. But since he apparently is guilty, why would he do that?

The alleged victim is supposed to live in a facility for people with AIDS (don't see how that is relevant though)

The defense will certainly want to know how she got it. The disease, of course, is especially prevalent in prostitutes and drug users. From what I’ve heard about her so far, she doesn’t fit that description at all, but if she really is a devout Muslim woman, how exactly did she get AIDS? Maybe from the father of her child in her native country. But the defense will be interested in this.

And if there was vaginal sex, this gives DSK one more thing to worry about.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

I continue to wonder why he was denied bail.

The denial of bail was based solely on the probability of him leaving the country, according to what I have heard. It was in no way a a ruling on the evidence. This simply ensures that he will be around when there is a further ruling as to whether to proceed to trial.

Susan

 

[knewcleardaze]

I believe many hotels use a disposable card with a magnetic strip to gain entry into the room.

Arthur Ashe contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion during heart surgery.

 

[Merckx index]

The denial of bail was based solely on the probability of him leaving the country, according to what I have heard. It was in no way a a ruling on the evidence. This simply ensures that he will be around when there is a further ruling as to whether to proceed to trial.

Susan

Does this mean that any foreigner charged with a crime in the U.S., regardless of the evidence, is denied bail? It seems to me the evidence has to play a role here, or anyone visiting the U.S. could be held in jail on the flimsiest of charges (not saying the charges against him are flimsy, of course).

Not to mention that for someone with DSK's visibility, the notion that he is a flight risk, or could not be counted on to return for a trial, seems ludicrous. I did read, though, a statement by the prosecutor that implied that DSK's vast personal wealth (I believe his family wired him $6 million after arrest, to be used when they thought he would be allowed to post bail) was a reason for not allowing him to leave the country. So is it possible that being rich actually works against a defendant in this situation? I'm not a lawyer, though, and would be interested in a lawyer's view of this.

I believe many hotels use a disposable card with a magnetic strip to gain entry into the room.

True enough, and if it was an huge suite, and he was in the shower, he probably would not hear a knock, or maybe even a doorbell if there were one.

Arthur Ashe contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion during heart surgery.

Of course there are other ways to get HIV, I'm talking probabilities here.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Sorry, that is pretty much the sum total of my knowledge of criminal law.

As for hotel keys/cards, I stay in significantly lower-priced hotels, and I honestly don't remember the last time we actually had a key. Always a card.

Susan

 

[usedtobefast]

Does this mean that any foreigner charged with a crime in the U.S., regardless of the evidence, is denied bail? It seems to me the evidence has to play a role here, or anyone visiting the U.S. could be held in jail on the flimsiest of charges (not saying the charges against him are flimsy, of course).

Not to mention that for someone with DSK's visibility, the notion that he is a flight risk, or could not be counted on to return for a trial, seems ludicrous. I did read, though, a statement by the prosecutor that implied that DSK's vast personal wealth (I believe his family wired him $6 million after arrest, to be used when they thought he would be allowed to post bail) was a reason for not allowing him to leave the country. So is it possible that being rich actually works against a defendant in this situation? I'm not a lawyer, though, and would be interested in a lawyer's view of this.



True enough, and if it was an huge suite, and he was in the shower, he probably would not hear a knock, or maybe even a doorbell if there were one.



Of course there are other ways to get HIV, I'm talking probabilities here.

if you are charged with a serious crime. sexual assault for instance. you are a flight risk, if you have a foreign passport.
what if it was your sister,your wife,your daughter,your mom? so far all i hear
is defense for the man. the usual BS. the Taliban would be proud.

 

[chambers]

Does this mean that any foreigner charged with a crime in the U.S., regardless of the evidence, is denied bail? It seems to me the evidence has to play a role here, or anyone visiting the U.S. could be held in jail on the flimsiest of charges (not saying the charges against him are flimsy, of course).

Not to mention that for someone with DSK's visibility, the notion that he is a flight risk, or could not be counted on to return for a trial, seems ludicrous. I did read, though, a statement by the prosecutor that implied that DSK's vast personal wealth (I believe his family wired him $6 million after arrest, to be used when they thought he would be allowed to post bail) was a reason for not allowing him to leave the country. So is it possible that being rich actually works against a defendant in this situation? I'm not a lawyer, though, and would be interested in a lawyer's view of this.



True enough, and if it was an huge suite, and he was in the shower, he probably would not hear a knock, or maybe even a doorbell if there were one.



Of course there are other ways to get HIV, I'm talking probabilities here.

Based on past French government conduct in regards to well know, rich, Frenchmen that raped someone in the United States and then ran home to France (Roman Polanski) I do not think we should believe that this time the guy would be forced to return to the United States to answer for his crimes.

 

[L'arriviste]

if you are charged with a serious crime. sexual assault for instance. you are a flight risk, if you have a foreign passport.
what if it was your sister,your wife,your daughter,your mom? so far all i hear
is defense for the man. the usual BS. the Taliban would be proud.

Well, technically he's still innocent, isn't he? He's entitled to a defence.

Anyway, I'm not sure it's so much "defence for the man" as "disdain for the Man". Many people just think it's a total set-up. If you had followed recent history from the French perspective, you might see that, for the moment at least, there could be more to the story.

With patchy information on the subject, what really happened is anybody's guess. And people will guess. It's just symptomatic of the fact that nobody believes the major news orifices any more. Myself included.

 

[Le breton]

Based on past French government conduct in regards to well know, rich, Frenchmen that raped someone in the United States and then ran home to France (Roman Polanski) I do not think we should believe that this time the guy would be forced to return to the United States to answer for his crimes.

I do not think we should believe that this time the guy would be forced to return to the United States to answer for his crimes

That type of reasoning is absolutely OUTRAGEOUS. Actually the type of reasoning that explains why ****stani in particular were so outrageously discriminated against in the US following Sept 11 and felt forced to flee to Canada.

 

[LegendRider]

http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2011/05/levy.html

 

[chambers]

I do not think we should believe that this time the guy would be forced to return to the United States to answer for his crimes

That type of reasoning is absolutely OUTRAGEOUS. Actually the type of reasoning that explains why ****stani in particular were so outrageously discriminated against in the US following Sept 11 and felt forced to flee to Canada.

You will have to explain to me how that type of reasoning is absolutely outrageous. Here are the facts:
1. France and the United States have a legal agreement that calls for the other to send people to the other country to face criminal charges.

2. Roman Polanski was convicted of a sex crime in the United States. He was awaiting sentencing when he left the country and found a safe haven in France.

3. Roman Polanski is rich and well know. France did not send him back to the United States when the United States tried to extradite him.

4. DSK is rich and well know.

5. Roman Polanski has admitted that he did actually commit the crime of which he was convicted.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

1. France and the United States have a legal agreement that calls for the other to send people to the other country to face criminal charges.

Are you sure?

According to Wiki:

Some countries, such as France, Germany,[2] Russian Federation, Austria, the People's Republic of China,[3] the Republic of China (Taiwan)[4] and Japan,[5] forbid extradition of their own citizens either by law or by treaty. Such restrictions are occasionally controversial in other countries when, for example, a French citizen commits a crime abroad and then returns to their home country, perceived as to avoid prosecution.[6] These countries often have laws in place that give them jurisdiction over crimes committed abroad by or against citizens. By virtue of such jurisdiction, they prosecute and try citizens accused of crimes committed abroad as if the crime had occurred within the country's borders.

Susan