Twist in Strauss-Kahn Case

The sexual assault case in New York against former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was in trouble Thursday night after questions surfaced about the believability of his alleged victim.

Strauss-Kahn's 32-year-old accuser was said to have lied repeatedly and prosecutors have come to question her credibility, even though forensic tests found evidence of a sexual encounter, the New York Times reported, quoting what it said were two well-placed law enforcement officials.

Strauss-Kahn's lawyers met with prosecutors Thursday to discuss whether to dismiss the felony charges stemming from the French politician's May 14 encounter with the Guinea-born housekeeper at the Sofitel Hotel in Manhattan, the newspaper said. It described the case as being "on the verge of collapse."

Strauss-Kahn's bail is expected to be substantially reduced at a hearing Friday because of the issue of the accuser's credibility, the Associated Press reported, citing an unnamed person familiar with the case.

The May 14 arrest of Mr. Strauss-Kahn, an international political figure, at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport as he prepared to depart on a flight for Paris, has generated headlines and debate around the world, cost him his job at the helm of the IMF and has apparently dashed his hopes for a run at the French presidency.

It has also fueled speculation in Mr. Strauss-Kahn's home country of conspiracies against him driven by politics and profit.

Prosecutors had previously said in court that the maid, a 32-year-old immigrant, had immediately cried out to witnesses upon leaving the room, indicating the veracity of her story. Investigators also found DNA evidence from Mr. Strauss-Kahn at the scene, law enforcement sources have said.

But the defense lawyers had indicated they would argue the encounter was consensual, and hired investigators to scrutinize the woman's credibility.

In recent weeks, according to people familiar with the situation, investigations by the defense team and law enforcement have resulted in the discovery of the false statement by the maid to prosecutors and the association with the man jailed on drug charges.

While the immediate future of the case remains unclear, prosecutors are expected to support efforts by the defense to ease Mr. Strauss-Kahn's bail restrictions.