Dominique Strauss-Kahn Demanded Diplomatic Immunity, Papers Show
Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said he had diplomatic immunity, demanded to use the bathroom and complained about his handcuffs when police took him into custody for allegedly trying to rape a Manhattan hotel maid last month, court documents released Thursday show.
Strauss-Kahn, currently under house arrest in a Tribeca townhouse, was taken into custody at John F. Kennedy International Airport on May 14 by Port Authority police as he tried to leave the country. The documents filed by prosecutors Thursday purport to chronicle the moments before during and after the incident.
An attorney for Strauss-Kahn, Benjamin Brafman, said Thursday he had no comment.
After he was taken into custody on May 14 and transferred to the Manhattan Special Victims Squad, the new court documents indicate that Strauss-Kahn appeared to be on unsure footing.
"Do I need a lawyer?" Strauss-Kahn asked the detectives, after being denied access to his cell phone.
"It is your right to have one in this country if you want. I don't know if you have some kind of diplomatic status," the officer replied.
"No, no, no. I'm not trying to use that. I just want to know if I need a lawyer," Strauss-Kahn said.
"That is up to you," the officer answered.
He was formally arrested around 2:45 p.m. on May 15, and his next court date is on July 18.
With the Associated Press
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