Ring of steel for Strauss-Kahn
Source: Agencies |
May 23, 2011, Monday
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WITH armed guards and cameras watching his every move, former IMF leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn remained holed up in a pricey high-rise yesterday while he awaits a more permanent location for house arrest in his sexual assault case.
The onetime French presidential contender has been living in the lower Manhattan skyscraper since his release from Rikers Island prison on US$1 million bail on Friday. He has been accused of trying to rape a housekeeper in his US$3,000-a-night hotel suite in New York last weekend but has denied the allegations. He's due for arraignment on June 6.
The 62-year-old was initially set for an apartment complex on New York's Upper East Side, but tenants in the building complained about the throng of police and media gathered outside.
So instead, Strauss-Kahn was ensconced in the 21-story Empire Building within the New York Police Department's "ring of steel," a network of private and police cameras.
It's not clear when and where he'd be moved to a more permanent house arrest.
Even with the severe restrictions, Strauss-Kahn's family wealth has afforded him one of the cushiest bail agreements possible. But it won't come cheap. The cost to secure the former International Monetary Fund chief was estimated at US$200,000 a month and he must foot the bill. In comparison, it costs the city about US$6,500 a month to house an inmate at a facility like Rikers Island, where he had been held for nearly a week.
The funds will go toward armed surveillance, the installation of cameras and a special bracelet shackled to his ankle that will set off an alarm if he travels too far.
Right now, he's not allowed out at all, but after he's moved to a more permanent location he can leave for court, doctor visits and weekly religious services. Prosecutors must be notified at least six hours before he goes anywhere. He can't be out between 10pm and 6am.
But he won't be lonely: he can have visitors - up to four at a time in addition to family.
Meanwhile, the IMF has been working to find a successor to lead an organization that provides billions in loans to stabilize the world economy. France's Finance Minister Christine Lagarde has emerged as a front-runner for the job. The executive board said it plans to make its selection by the end of June.
The onetime French presidential contender has been living in the lower Manhattan skyscraper since his release from Rikers Island prison on US$1 million bail on Friday. He has been accused of trying to rape a housekeeper in his US$3,000-a-night hotel suite in New York last weekend but has denied the allegations. He's due for arraignment on June 6.
The 62-year-old was initially set for an apartment complex on New York's Upper East Side, but tenants in the building complained about the throng of police and media gathered outside.
So instead, Strauss-Kahn was ensconced in the 21-story Empire Building within the New York Police Department's "ring of steel," a network of private and police cameras.
It's not clear when and where he'd be moved to a more permanent house arrest.
Even with the severe restrictions, Strauss-Kahn's family wealth has afforded him one of the cushiest bail agreements possible. But it won't come cheap. The cost to secure the former International Monetary Fund chief was estimated at US$200,000 a month and he must foot the bill. In comparison, it costs the city about US$6,500 a month to house an inmate at a facility like Rikers Island, where he had been held for nearly a week.
The funds will go toward armed surveillance, the installation of cameras and a special bracelet shackled to his ankle that will set off an alarm if he travels too far.
Right now, he's not allowed out at all, but after he's moved to a more permanent location he can leave for court, doctor visits and weekly religious services. Prosecutors must be notified at least six hours before he goes anywhere. He can't be out between 10pm and 6am.
But he won't be lonely: he can have visitors - up to four at a time in addition to family.
Meanwhile, the IMF has been working to find a successor to lead an organization that provides billions in loans to stabilize the world economy. France's Finance Minister Christine Lagarde has emerged as a front-runner for the job. The executive board said it plans to make its selection by the end of June.
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