Strauss-Kahn seeks at least $1 million from maid

NEW YORK (AFP) - Disgraced ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is countersuing the New York hotel maid whose accusation of sexual assault last year brought down his glittering political career.

The countersuit, signed Monday and made public Tuesday, seeks at least $1 million plus undetermined punitive damages from the maid, Nafissatou Diallo, who is accused of "falsely and maliciously asserting" she was attacked.

The 18-page document accuses Diallo of malicious prosecution, abuse of process, false imprisonment, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

"Ms Diallo participated in the commencement and maintenance of a baseless criminal prosecution," the suit said, "and in doing so intended to injure Mr Strauss-Kahn."

The suit was the French politician's latest attempt to turn the tables on Diallo and recover from a scandal that started a year ago when Diallo accused him of forcing her into oral sex when she went to clean his luxury hotel room.

A criminal case against Strauss-Kahn collapsed because Diallo lied to Manhattan prosecutors on certain aspects of the story. However, Strauss-Kahn was forced to resign from the International Monetary Fund and abandon his hopes of winning the French presidency.

Subsequently, Diallo opened a civil suit seeking unspecified damages in New York, while in France prosecutors opened a separate criminal case against Strauss-Kahn, alleging involvement in an international prostitution ring.