Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Head of International Monetary Fund, Arrested for Sexual Assault

Dominique Strauss-Kahn (washingtonpost.com)

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, head of International Monetary Fund, was charged on Sunday with alleged sexual assault of a housekeeper at a Manhattan hotel Saturday.

Strauss-Kahn, 62, was removed from a flight that was heading to Paris minutes before takeoff, and was questioned by NYPD’s special victims department office.

He was arrested at 2:15 a.m. on charges of criminal sex act, attempted rape and unlawful imprisonment.

The housekeeper told the police that the assault occurred at 1 p.m., at the Sofitel hotel as she was attacked upon entering the $3,000-per-night room to clean it, believing the room was empty.

She said Strauss-Kahn came in from the bathroom naked, chased her down the hallway, brought her to the bedroom, where he began assaulting her sexually.

She managed to break free, told the hotel staff what had happened and they called the police.

Strauss-Kahn’s attorney said on Sunday his client denied all charges and would plead not guilty.

The arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn created a wave of uncertainty at the Washington HQ of the international organization that was heavily implicated in stabilizing economies of economically frail countries during the global crisis.

Sofitel Hotel, Manhattan (washingtonpost.com)

An IMF spokesman had no comment on the issue, but added that the organization remained perfectly functioning.

The news of his arrest stirred up political reactions in France, where Strauss-Kahn was expected to run against Sarkozy in the next presidential election, with good chance, according to polls, of defeating the incumbent president.

Strauss-Kahn’s Socialist colleagues said he was no longer able to run for Socialist presidential primary, whereas spokesman for the French government advised the political key figures of the state to give him the benefit of the doubt until proven guilty by justice.

Socialist leaders admitted the news came as a thunderbolt for them, and that it threw the party in disarray.