Court rejects Katsav's request to postpone rape trial

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Former president Moshe Katsav's trial will begin on its scheduled date next week after the Tel Aviv District Court on Thursday rejected a plea by the former president's lawyers to postpone the proceedings in order to allow them more time to peruse the extensive police case files on the rape investigation against Katsav. Despite the court's decision, the former president's defense team is not expected to respond to the indictment in court next week and will reportedly ask for another deferral in order to study the evidence. Katsav's lawyers are claiming that they have only just received the case files from the State Attorney's Office and cannot therefore provide an adequate response to the allegations against their client.