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Former French International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn's leaves his home on September 8, 2011 place des Vosges in Paris. (Michel Gangne/AFP/Getty Images)
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief, was taken in for questioning in France over alleged connection to a prostitution ring, according to media reports.
Strauss-Kahn, who was once considered a rising star in France’s political arena, resigned as head of the IMF last year after he was indicted for sexually assaulting a maid in a New York City hotel. Prosecutors later dropped the charges against him, but his reputation took a hit.
On Tuesday, however, he was detained in the in the northern French city of Lille for allegedly being involved in a prostitution ring, reported France24.
Prostitutes said they had sex with him at arranged parties, and he is being questioned regarding the possibility of having helped to organize such parties at hotels and restaurants in France and the United States.
He claims he did not know the women were prostitutes and is being questioned over whether he knew that corporate funds were being misused to pay for the women.
The 62-year-old politician declined to comment when he arrived at the police building in Lille, where throngs of journalists and photographers awaited him, the television station said. He arrived there voluntarily by car.
In France, using the services of a prostitute is not illegal, but providing prostitutes to others is. Under French law, if convicted, he could face high fines and up to 12 years in prison.