'Condit must take lie test'

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, JULY 10. With the case of the missing 24-year-old intern, Ms. Chandra Levy, now in the tenth week, her mother has called on the California Congressman, Mr. Gary Condit, to take a lie detector test. Mr. Condit, who for weeks denied that he had an affair with Ms. Levy, finally admitted under questioning last weekend that he had indeed a romantic relationship with her.

``Mr. Condit has not been very truthful to me up to now'', Ms. Susan Levy, the mother of the missing intern, said on Monday. Mr. Condit has met Ms. Susan Levy on more than one occasion but at the time the six-term Congressman had been denying any romantic tie-ups with the latter's daughter who was doing an internship with the Bureau of Prisons here.

If Ms Levy's family is asking for Mr. Condit to take the lie detector test, his lawyer has come back saying that his client will be willing to submit himself to a DNA test, search of his home and allowing his staff to be interviewed. But Mr. Abbe Lowell - who represented the Democratic President, Mr. Bill Clinton, at the time of the Impeachment trial - has not said if Mr. Condit will finally agree to a polygraph test.

Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are simply baffled at the way in which this case has progressed. On the one hand, it has been clearly maintained that Mr. Condit is not a suspect; and on the other hand, there are hardly any clues to go by. Over 100 persons have been interviewed but nothing has turned up to even remotely suggest that officers are planning to reclassify the case from that of missing persons.

Supporters of Mr. Condit say the media attention and the ensuing hoopla has sought to focus more on the Congressman's personal life style which has little or nothing to do with the missing young lady. His romantic relationship with Ms Levy aside, Mr. Condit has also been accused of having a 10-month-old affair with a flight attendant.

Critics of Mr. Condit make the point that the personal life of the Congressman is relevant as it would throw light on the state of mind of Ms Levy prior to her ``disappearance''. On April 30, Ms. Levy walked out of her apartment with only her clothes on - she had left behind bags packed to return to California for graduation, her driver's licence, credit cards and some $ 30 in cash. Police found nothing out of the ordinary in the course of a search of her apartment a week later.

Meanwhile, the word from Mr. Condit's district in California is that he may be in a lot of trouble to the point that there is speculation that his goose may be cooked in 2002. The impression is that with Mr. Condit staying out of the limelight, including skipping the traditional July 4 celebrations, his once solid support is slipping. Republicans in Modesto - the California district of Mr. Condit - are saying that they are not trying to take advantage of the situation - rather that the Democratic Congressman is doing a ``good job'' of digging his own political grave.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : G-7 optimism fails to impress investors
Next     : 'Misconceptions about GM foods need to be removed'