French investigators charged Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday night with involvement in a French prostitution ring, a statement from prosecutor’s office in Lille said.
Strauss-Kahn was questioned at the prosecutor’s office in the northern city of Lille on Monday and is "mis en examen," a French legal term equivalent to being charged.
He is under investigation over the so-called Carlton Affair for his alleged involvement in orgies with prostitutes, most of which took place in the Carlton hotel. He is also suspected of participating in similar events organized in Washington and Brussels.
After questioning on Monday night, Strauss-Kahn was placed under judicial supervision, prohibited from contacting other people involved in the case and had to pay 100,000 euros in bail, the prosecutor’s office said.
If the 62-year-old former IMF head is found guilty on charges against him, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
In 2011, Strauss-Kahn, who was considered French President Nicolas Sarkozy's greatest rival in the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for this month, was arrested and placed under investigation for sexual assault on a hotel maid in New York.
The case was opened on May 14 after 32-year-old Nafissatou Diallo claimed Strauss-Kahn had assaulted her sexually at the Sofitel New York Hotel. Strauss-Kahn pleaded not guilty and said the sexual contact with the maid was under mutual consent. The charges were later dropped.
