The next hearing in the sexual assault case against former IMF chief Mr Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been postponed until August 1 to give both sides more time to conduct their investigations.

A letter from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said that both sides had agreed to the delay “to facilitate both parties’ continued investigation in this matter’’.

Mr Strauss-Kahn, 62, had been due to appear before the court on July 18. He has been charged with sexually assaulting a hotel maid at Sofitel Hotel in New York in May.

The case against the former IMF chief has been weakened considerably after it emerged that the 32-year-old maid, who is from Guinea, has been lying to prosecutors.

Mr Strauss-Kahn has been accused of forcing the maid to perform oral sex. He was taken into custody a few minutes before his Air France flight departed for Paris.

His lawyers have asked for dismissal of the charges against him. They say that the sexual encounter between their client and the maid was consensual.

“We hope that during this time the district attorney will make the necessary decision to dismiss the case against Mr Strauss-Kahn,” said Mr William W. Taylor, a lawyer for Mr Strauss-Kahn, as quoted by The Wall Street Journal.

The maid had told prosecutors a fake story about being gang-raped and falsely claimed someone else’s child as her own to obtain tax benefits.

But legal experts say that the maid’s lies doe not automatically lead to a dismissal.

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Published on July 12, 2011