Ex-IMF leader scandal parties set to negotiate

NEW YORK - A court date has been scheduled for next week to discuss the New York hotel maid's sexual assault accusation against former International Monetary Fund (IMF) leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn, with sources expecting a settlement although details will never be revealed to the public.

The maid, Nafissatou Diallo, and Strauss-Kahn will show up next Monday in New York's Bronx County Supreme Court, and brief the judge on their settlement in the civil case.

"The parties have been directed to appear before me on Dec 10 to report on the status of settlement discussions," Justice Douglas McKeon, the Bronx County Supreme Court judge overseeing the case, said on Tuesday. "If the case settles, this will be announced in open court on that date."

"The parties have been actively negotiating a settlement with the assistance of the trial judge, Justice Douglas McKeon, one of the highest ranking judges in New York City. On Monday, the judge will meet with all parties and it is probable that the settlement will be announced," Paul Callan with Callan Koster Brady Brennan LLP in New York, told Xinhua on Tuesday.

Paul Callan is a former prosecutor in the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office who represented Nicole Brown Simpson's estate in a civil case against former pro football star O.J. Simpson.

The deal between the two parties to reach a resolution to the lawsuit remains unknown, as earlier reports saying that Strauss- Kahn may pay $6 million to resolve the suit have been refuted by Amit Mehta, one of the lawyers on behalf of Strauss- Kahn.

"Media reports that Dominique Strauss-Kahn has agreed to pay $6 million to settle the civil case are flatly false," Mehta said in a statement. According to him, the parties have discussed a resolution but there has been no settlement. "Mr Strauss-Kahn will continue to defend the charges if no resolution can be reached."

Observers said a settlement amount reported in the media could disrupt negotiations between the two sides, because the big figure in this case would never admit he is interested in paying a large sum.

"The exact details including the amount of money to be paid by Strauss-Kahn may never be revealed as the parties in cases involving great scandals often negotiate and agree to 'Confidentiality Agreements' which bar all parties from revealing the settlement details," Callan told Xinhua.

According to him, numerous reports of the settlement figure of $6 million are inaccurate. A much lower settlement figure is likely though negotiations have not yet been finalized. His prediction is that the figure will be $2 million or less based on his experience in the area of the law.

The lawsuit was originated from last May's hotel encounter in mid-town Manhattan, and the charge against Strauss-Kahn's attempt to rape Diallo has forced him to resign from the IMF and shattered his dream to pursue the French presidency.

Prosecutors dropped the criminal case, saying the accuser had lied about events surrounding the alleged attack. Diallo filed the civil lawsuit against Strauss-Kahn a few weeks before the case was dismissed. Strauss-Kahn filed a countersuit afterwards against her, claiming defamation.

According to reports, if another French "pimping" case is dropped and Diallo ends her civil lawsuit, Strauss-Kahn would be freer to pursue his consultancy work and could even consider a return to public life in France, where he has been shunned since the Diallo scandal.