The trial of former Israeli president Moshe Katsav on charges of rape and sexual harassment has re-opened with testimony from one of his alleged victims.
The trial was adjourned in May when Mr Katsav entered an innocent plea at a preliminary hearing.
Mr Katsav, 63, was forced out of office on foot of the charges two years ago.
The father of five has been indicted on two counts of rape, forcible indecent assault and abuse of power against an employee at his office during the period in which he was Israel’s tourism minister in the 1990s.
He is also accused of harassing at least one female employee while he was president and of obstruction of justice.
In two separate cases, two former Israeli ministers have begun prison terms after being found guilty of corruption.
Former finance minister Avraham Hirshson will serve five years for embezzling one million dollars from a right wing trade union between 1998 and 2005.
Hirshson was finance minister in the government led by Ehud Olmert, who was indicted on a number of corruption charges on Sunday.
Shlomo Benizri will serve a sentence of four-and-a-half years at a separate prison after being found guilty of bribery and fraud
Benizri was minister for health from 1999-2000 and minister for labour and social welfare from 2001-2003.
