Israeli President pleads guilty to sex offences

Iraeli President Moshe Katsav pleaded guilty yesterday to committing sexual crimes against women employees, signing a plea bargain that will keep him out of jail, Israel's attorney-general said.

Under the deal, Attorney-General Menachem Mazuz retreated from his stated intention to charge Mr Katsav with rape but said the President, whose term expires next month, would resign and that "shame will accompany him forever".

"From Israel's 'First Citizen', he turns into a criminal convicted of sexual offences," Mr Mazuz told a news conference, insisting he had not given a special break to a public figure.

As part of the arrangement that Mr Katsav signed, he pleaded guilty to charges he committed a string of indecent sexual acts against one woman who worked for him and sexually harassed another female employee, Mr Mazuz said.

He said that Mr Katsav could have faced a maximum seven years in jail for the offences but would instead receive a suspended sentence, pending a court's approval of the plea bargain.

Mr Katsav, who had denied any wrongdoing, also agreed to pay the equivalent of $3,500 in compensation to one of the women and $8,300 to the other, Mr Mazuz said.