(Translated)

By Adele Smith

Your Dominique Strauss-Kahn looks in trouble, his defense has no choice at this stage as to discredit the victim," says
"Bo" Dietl, a private detective in New York for twenty-six . 

 For "Bo" Dietl, a private detective in New York for twenty-six, the defense of Dominique Strauss-Kahn has no other choice than to defend themselves to discredit his alleged victim. 
 
The Glock 26 to the belt, Richard Dietl, a private detective, turns on the television and slips a DVD into a video player.  We are on the 50th floor of a skyscraper in Manhattan.  On the screen, it is shaking hands with Ronald Reagan at the White House in the 1980s.  Former President congratulates clearly impressed by this cop who arrested eight times as many criminals in his career that the statistical average of the NYPD, the New York Police Department.  "Did you see that?  Reagan was even more proud that my images! "Exclaimed the exuberant character with tanned complexion and gold cufflinks.

"Bo" Dietl, detective for thirty years, is a minor celebrity in New York.  The walls of his office are covered with trophies, awards and framed photographs of him with Bush, father and son, Bill Clinton, the billionaire Warren Buffett or actors like Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.  "Bo" Dietl has even secured the Pope John Paul II.  When he left the ranks of the police in 1985, he founded a detective agency composed of former police officers as he and FBI agents.  Today, Dietl and Associates is mainly in the private security of VIPs, but also in monitoring, spinning a husband - or wife - unfaithful, seeking information about potential partners in private companies. 

 What is there in case DSK ?  "This is not rocket launchers, he said.  Your Dominique Strauss-Kahn looks in trouble, his defense has no choice at this stage as to discredit the victim. "In such cases, detectives do not really need the means ultra-sophisticated.  Interview employees of the Sofitel, talk to relatives, examine the evidence adduced, check the profile of the victim, this should not take a long time.  How do you discredit an alleged victim?  "It's simple, says our detective.  This is not to make things on it, because it is illegal, and at trial, this could pay dearly.  But it's all in how to talk to people.  Just to suggest an idea and make them speak it.  The way we see a blue tie can be very subjective, you know. " 

 "Curiosity, creativity and common sense" 

 If necessary, the detectives will save witnesses without their knowledge, a practice allowed in the State of New York, says he.  Testimony recorded and broadcast the court can instill doubt in jurors .  For him, the lawyer of DSK, Ben Brafman , hired the firm Guidepost Solutions, specializes in more "business intelligence" (economic intelligence) in the search for information related to common crimes such as rape, it is mostly because he knows well.  "Guidepost will appeal to former cops to do the job, there is nothing very mysterious in this story." A "job" as Dietl would charge between 175 and 250 dollars an hour. 

 In Times Square, change of scenery.  Another company, Diligence, founded by a former CIA, Michael Baker, a British partner and former agent of MI-5: nothing to do with "Bo," the former cop, here we do not play in the same court.  A specialist in business intelligence, Michael Baker works with a team of former secret agents eclectic, police, military, financial experts and investigative journalists.  Diligence in, no spy satellites or computers hyperintelligents like you see in the movies, a stereotype that infuriates also fairly former secret agent.  When he recruits, Michael Baker looks for some human qualities: "A healthy dose of curiosity, common sense and enough creativity to get the information usually inaccessible," a more international background.  High technology is only useful in computer security investigators.  Its customers are generally companies looking to evaluate or to minimize the risks associated with a country, sector, a potential partner. 

Ethical issue 

 As modest as "Bo" is boastful, Michael draws a similar conclusion on the case DSK.  "The scene was in a limited space, in a limited time, there were video cameras, medical legal elements were quickly collected: survey seems rather simple, the defense committed on land difficult. "The" sleuth "to the physical athlete, wearing a sober suit on a white T-shirt, ensures that he would not accept the offer counsel DSK, for fear of tarnishing the reputation of his agency.  And he is confident that services will be charged Guidepost Solutions at a high price to DSK ... 

 In New York, dozens of corporate investigative and security as Diligence, Guidepost Solutions, or Kroll, the largest, which investigates financial crimes, practiced public accounting or computer security, protect their assets clients, etc..  Not far from the Sofitel, the head of one of these agencies received in secret in his office to share exactly the same view as the other two on the case DSK.  This former Kroll refused to work for clients involved in all that relates to sexual assaults, organized crime and drug trafficking.  "Question of Ethics," he said. 

 In these environments, many believe the case DSK "sordid", and the role of detectives committed unattractive.  "Our mission is much more sophisticated, we work with multinationals across the globe.  Right now, we are on a multi-country survey that will lead us to question hundreds of witnesses, "said our interlocutor.  Enough to justify prices ranging from 600 to 900 dollars an hour.