A US judge today dropped all sex crime charges against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a move that could bolster his plans to contest the next French Presidential elections in 2012.
The dismissal will take effect once an appeal against it has been ruled on.
"I see no basis to deny," New York court Judge Michael Obus said ending an over three-month long saga that brought down one of the world's most powerful men and caused a global uproar.
The prosecution, which had yesterday moved a motion for dropping all sexual assault charges against Strauss-Kahn, said the evidence collected in the case was "consistent with a non-consensual encounter" but decided to drop the case because they could not prove it was forced and the woman told too many lies.
Strauss-Kahn, 62, was arrested on May 14 after being pulled from an Air France flight bound for Paris after Nafissatou Diallo, a 32-year-old maid working at Manhattan Sofitel hotel, said he chased her down and forced her to perform oral sex.
He was charged with criminal sex act, attempted rape and unlawful imprisonment besides other violations.
His arrest forced him to resign as head of the IMF on May 18 and abandon his bid for upcoming French Presidential elections.
But the case against Strauss-Kahn had been considerably weakened after it emerged that the maid has been lying to prosecutors, including about a gang rape she said she suffered back in her home country of Guinea.
In addition, she was said to have discussed his wealth in a telephone conversation with a Guinean friend currently held in a US prison.
