Israeli President Moshe Katsav signed an unexpected plea bargain yesterday that ended a year-long investigation into alleged sex crimes by the nation's ceremonial leader, agreeing to resign in a deal that includes no jail time.

The agreement, in which rape allegations were dismissed and Katsav admitted only to lesser charges of sexual harassment and obstruction of justice, was widely seen as a victory for him. His accusers and women's rights activists condemned the deal.

The announcement by Attorney-General Meni Mazuz brought an abrupt end to a sordid case that captured the public's attention, painting a man known for decades as a harmless politician as a predatory boss who repeatedly took advantage of his female employees.

In the space of a year, Katsav sank from being "Israel's No 1 citizen to a convicted sex offender," Mazuz told a news conference.

Katsav, whose seven-year term was due to end next month, planned to formally resign later yesterday, said his spokesman, Ronen Tzur. Katsav suspended himself in January to fight the charges.

Katsav, who had always proclaimed his innocence, agreed to the plea bargain "after the smear campaign of the past year, and in order to spare his family the pain" of a prolonged legal process, Tzur said.

The deal also marked a dramatic reversal by Mazuz, who announced plans in January to indict Katsav for far graver charges of rape and sexual misconduct.

Instead, Katsav will plead guilty to sexual harassment, indecent acts and harassing a witness, Mazuz said. He also will pay damages to complainants and receive a suspended sentence.

Mazuz said the deal came at Katsav's request and was finalized just moments before yesterday's news conference. He explained that some of the allegations would have been difficult to prove in court.

Mazuz also said he took into consideration the damage a prolonged trial would have caused to "the national institution of the presidency and the image of the state of Israel." Although the position is largely ceremonial, the president is expected to set moral standards and help unify the country during times of trouble.

Kineret Barashi, attorney for one of the complainants, said Katsav received special treatment.

"There is no public interest in reaching a plea bargain and reducing his sentence just because we're talking about the president, and only because we're concerned about how we'll look to the world," she told Channel 2 TV.

Katsav, who immigrated to Israel from Iran as a child, began his political career in a poor town in Israel's south, worked his way up to a back-bench position in the hard-line Likud party, and later became a Cabinet minister.

Considered a political lightweight, Katsav stunned Israelis when parliament elected him President seven years ago, delivering a stinging defeat to Shimon Peres, the country's elder statesman.

Allegations against Katsav first surfaced a year ago, and his accusers eventually included four women who worked with him in the president's office and earlier, when he was tourism minister.

At yesterday's press conference, Mazuz acknowledged that allegations from several other women could not be pursued because they fell under the statute of limitations.

(China Daily via agencies June 29, 2007)