Attorneys for President Moshe Katsav have asked the Knesset to declare the president temporarily suspended. The president is expected to make a formal announcement at 7:00 pm at a press conference which will be held in his official residence in Jerusalem.

President Moshe Katsav is the highest paid civil servant in Israel, topping the prime minister by over NIS 6,000 per month.

According to the Knesset Finance Committee, Katsav’s salary for January was NIS 46, 278 while Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s was NIS 39,817.

He will continue receiving his salary until a new president was elected. The Knesset’s Law and Constitution Committee said they were looking into what would happen to Katsav’s salary if he is incarcerated.