Paris, Feb 10 (IANS/EFE) Former head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, said he was unaware that the women attending the orgies he helped organise were prostitutes, when testifying Tuesday at his trial on procurement charges.
Strauss-Kahn is being tried, along with 13 other individuals, by Lille's Correctional Court on charges of "aggravated procurement" (pimping). He denied the indictment's charge that he "let things get out of control" when participating in orgies.
The case against the former French Socialist minister is based on the testimonies of prostitutes who declared under oath that he was totally aware that they were taking part in the orgies in return for money.
One of the women, identified as Mounia, described in detail to the judges some of the sexual acts that took place in a hotel in Paris, in which Strauss-Kahn treated her "brutally" and made her cry, according to the radio station France Info.
"I gestured for him to stop because I did not want such practices," said the former prostitute, who added that Strauss-Kahn responded to her pleas with a smile.
Mounia testified, however, that they did not discuss money during this encounter.
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The BFM TV network mentioned that the former head of the International Monetary Fund remained quite calm during the questioning.
In his testimony, Strauss-Kahn admitted that he participated in several orgies over the years.
But he insisted that he was not aware that any of the women involved were receiving money in return for their participation.
When the former Socialist minister arrived at the courthouse Tuesday morning, activists from the FEMEN militant feminist group protested with bare chests and body inscriptions, jumping on Strauss-Kahn's car and shouting slogans against clients of prostitutes and pimps.
--IANS/EFE
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