Ohio lawyer charged with sexually assaulting five women testifies that accusers are lying
A Columbus, Ohio, lawyer on trial on charges he sexually assaulted five women says his accusers are lying.
Javier Armengau, who took the witness stand in his own defense Monday, said he’s the victim of a “trumped up conspiracy” by police, prosecutors, the state Attorney General’s Office and the women accusing him, 10TV.com reports.
“I believe you pressured (one accuser) into what she said,” Armengau told special prosecutor Daniel Breyer on cross-examination. “I don’t care whether you’re part of a conspiracy or not. All I can tell you is you did it with (her). You did it with (another accuser). I can keep going if you want to. You, you, you make your witnesses change their testimony.”
Armengau, a well-known criminal defense lawyer, is charged with sexually assaulting five women, including two former clients, the mothers of two former clients and a former employee.
Armengau has said that he did nothing improper and that all of the relationships were consensual.
“Are any of the allegations made by any of these women in any way true?” defense lawyer Jennifer Coriell asked Armengau at one point during direct examination earlier Monday.
“Not one,” he replied.
The case is expected to go to the jury Wednesday.
