Accuser picks IMF chief out of lineup

The Manhattan hotel maid who accused the French leader of the International Monetary Fund of sexually assaulting her identified him in a police lineup Sunday, a New York City Police Department spokesman said.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, 62, was scheduled for arraignment last night but it was postponed, said William Taylor, one of Strauss-Kahn's lawyers, because he agreed to undergo a forensic examination. Strauss-Kahn was arrested early Sunday morning on charges of committing a criminal sex act, attempted rape and unlawful imprisonment. He was taken off an Air France Flight at Kennedy Airport Saturday just minutes before it was scheduled to depart.

Another of Strauss-Kahn's attorneys, Benjamin Brafman, told The Associated Press that his client will plead not guilty. "He denies all the charges against him," Brafman said.

Strauss-Kahn will be arraigned this morning at Manhattan Criminal Court, officials said.

The IMF, which plays a key role in efforts to control the European debt crisis, said it remains "fully functioning and operational" despite the arrest of its managing director.

William Murray, an IMF spokesman, said John Lipsky, first deputy managing director, would lead the organization in an acting capacity.

A member of France's Socialist party, Strauss-Kahn was widely considered the strongest potential challenger next year to President Nicolas Sarkozy. Candidates need to announce their intentions this summer to run in fall primary elections.

Strauss-Kahn, a white-haired, well-dressed, thrice-married father of four, was alone when he checked into the luxury Sofitel hotel near Times Square on Friday afternoon, police said. It wasn't clear why he was in New York. The IMF is based in Washington, and he had been due in Germany Sunday to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The 32-year-old maid told authorities that when she entered his $3,000-a-night suite early Saturday afternoon, she thought it was unoccupied. Instead, Strauss-Kahn emerged from the bathroom naked, chased her down a hallway and pulled her into a bedroom, where he sexually assaulted her, NYPD spokesman Paul J. Browne said.

The woman told police that she fought him off, but he then dragged her into the bathroom, where he tried to force her into a sex act and tried to remove her underwear. The woman was able to break free again, escaped the room and told hotel staff what had happened, authorities said.

Strauss-Kahn was gone by the time detectives arrived moments later. He left his cellphone behind. "It looked like he got out of there in a hurry," Browne said.

The arrest caused shock and disbelief in France, where a government spokesman called for caution and respect for the presumption of innocence.

"The news we received from New York last night struck like a thunderbolt," said Socialist leader Martine Aubry, appealing for party unity.

"If it is true, this would be a historic moment, but in the negative sense, for French political life," Dominique Paille, a political rival to Strauss-Kahn on the center right, said on BFM television.

In 2008, Strauss-Kahn was briefly investigated over whether he had an improper relationship with a subordinate female employee. The IMF board found that the relationship was consensual, but called his actions "regrettable" and said they "reflected a serious error of judgment."

A former economics professor, Strauss-Kahn served as French industry minister and finance minister in the 1990s, and is credited with preparing France for the adoption of the euro by taming its deficit.

He took over as head of the IMF in November 2007.

With Emily Ngo,

AP and Reuters

Dominique Strauss-Kahn bio

An economist and lawyer who has gained prominence while leading the IMF through one of the world's worst financial crises, Strauss-Kahn joined the organization in 2007 with the support of the United States and many European nations.

Previously served as France's finance minister and is the subject of intense speculation on whether he will declare his candidacy for president as a member of the Socialist Party. He unsuccessfully ran for his party's nomination in the last election.

At the IMF, Strauss-Kahn has overseen a number of crucial emergency loan packages for troubled economies, most recently for Greece and Pakistan.