Dominique Strauss-Kahn has accused political allies of Nicolas Sarkozy of orchestrating the New York maid assault scandal that brought his bid for the French presidency crashing down.
| Always someone else's fault... |
The former International Monetary Fund chief said figures close to the French president and his ruling UMP party choreographed the fallout of the scandal, following accusations he assaulted Nafissatou Diallo.
He said that while he did not believe his encounter with the Sofitel housekeeper was a set-up, he believes his rapid arrest on May 14 and the highly public criminal investigation that ended his presidential chances had been "shaped by those with a political agenda".
The former favourite to win the French presidential elections, which enters its second round on May 6, said of the scandal that "more was involved here than mere coincidence".
In an interview with an American investigative journalist for the Guardian, Mr Strauss-Kahn, 63, alleged that French intelligence had been eavesdropping on him weeks before he was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting Miss Diallo. He accused agents linked to Mr Sarkozy of listening in to his phone calls and making sure Miss Diallo complained to the New York police, leading to an explosive international scandal. |