French prosecutor calls for DSK acquittal

Prosecutor Frederic Fevre called for Dominique Strauss-Kahn's acquittal in Lille on Tuesday after arguing that "neither the judicial enquiry nor the hearing" had proved aggravated pimping in the former French finance minister's case.

Fevre had resisted pushing the case to trial from the outset, but investigative magistrates ruled that the case should go ahead.

'Unaware' of prostitutes

Strauss-Kahn, 65, was on trial with 13 other defendants for allegedly procuring prostitutes for a string of parties held in Brussels, Paris and Washington during his time as International Monetary Fund managing director. In France it is not illegal to pay for sex, but it is against the law to solicit or to run a prostitution business.

Throughout the trial, however, "DSK" told the Lille court that he was "unaware" the women were being paid for their presence.

Giving evidence last week, Strauss-Kahn also dismissed claims that he had an "uncontrolled" obsession with sex parties, saying he was only involved in 12 such events in three years.

Downfall of a political star

The economist and former hopeful for the French presidency first faced trial in 2011, after a maid accused him of sexual assault at the Sofitel hotel in New York.

Charges against Strauss-Kahn were dropped and the case was settled in a civil suit, but the former IMF chief's name resurfaced in an investigation into a prostitution ring some six months later.

Among Strauss-Kahn's 13 co-accused, Fevre suggested a one-year prison sentence and fine for a Belgian sex club owner, Dominique Alderweireld, also known by the nickname "Dodo the Samurai." For five others, the prosecutor called for suspended sentences ranging from three to 15 months.

The trial is due to finish this week, but a verdict is not expected immediately.

ksb/msh (Reuters, AFP)