New York prosecutors and defence lawyers for former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn met for nearly two hours without any apparent resolution today as the sexual assault case against him appeared to be falling apart.
Defense lawyers declined to give any details on the meeting. The New York Times had reported they would pursue whether the charges could be resolved by a dismissal or plea agreement.
"We had a constructive meeting. That's all we're going to say. We're not going to take any questions," defence lawyer Benjamin Brafman told reporters after emerging from the office of District Attorney Cyrus Vance.
It was uncertain whether Mr Vance, the chief prosecutor for Manhattan, attended. An elected official whose reputation could be on the line with the high-profile case, Mr Vance has insisted his team acted properly in the face of criticism that he rushed the case.
Mr Strauss-Kahn left the Manhattan townhouse where he has been staying in a black car shortly before the meeting broke up.
The case was thrown into jeopardy when prosecutors discovered the accuser, a 32-year-old hotel maid from Guinea, lied about being gang-raped in her home country in her application for US asylum and changed details of her story about what she did after her encounter with Mr Strauss-Kahn in a luxury suite.
A New York judge released Mr Strauss-Kahn from house arrest and lifted strict bail conditions on Friday, although serious charges including sexual assault and attempted rape remain in place against the man once seen as a top French presidential contender.
Prosecutors say they are still investigating, an indication they believe physical evidence suggests a sexual assault took place regardless of any lies the accuser may have told in the past.
Mr Strauss-Kahn (62), was next scheduled for a court appearance on July 18th, and speculation was building that prosecutors may have to drop the charges including sexual assault and attempted rape, which he has vigorously denied.
The woman who replaced Mr Strauss-Kahn as managing director of the International Monetary Fund, former French finance minister Christine Lagarde, called on the media to respect the presumption of innocence for Mr Strauss-Kahn, adding that she had spoken with him over the phone in a professional capacity.
"Justice is taking its course," Ms Lagarde told France 24 television. "The most important thing is to respect the presumption of innocence, and I think it would be great if the media did too."
Her conversations with Mr Strauss-Kahn related to the transition of leadership and projects that Mr Strauss-Kahn had instigated, she said.
"It was strictly professional and related exclusively to my role as his successor," Ms Lagarde said.
Ms Lagarde clinched the top job on June 28th and took over yesterday, immediately having to focus on the Greek debt crisis.
Women's rights advocates in turn have shown their support for the Guinean accuser, condemning the media and prosecutors for "character assassination" while also showing support for Mr Strauss-Kahn's French accuser, Tristane Banon.
"We call on the Manhattan District Attorney, as well as prosecutors and courts around the world, to ensure that Hawa, Tristane Banon, and all other women and girls with the courage to come forward and press charges are treated with sensitivity and respect," Equality One, a women's rights advocate group said in a statement, using a pseudonym for the accuser.
Banon, a French writer, filed a complaint yesterday alleging Mr Strauss-Kahn tried to rape her during an interview in a Paris apartment in 2003, when she was 22.
Mr Strauss-Kahn was arrested aboard a Paris-bound jet at John F. Kennedy airport on May 14th and subsequently resigned as head of the IMF.
Reuters