A High Court jury has been hearing evidence in a defamation case brought by Cognotec founder and CEO Brian Maccaba amid allegations that he made a $1 million 'indecent proposal' for another man's wife.
Wealthy businessman Maccaba is seeking damages against senior rabbi Dayan Yaakov Lichtenstein, who he accuses of slurring his reputation within the orthodox community by spreading allegations that he was a "sexual predator" and "serial adulterer" who pursued young married Jewish women.
The indecent proposal allegation was made by Rabbi Lichtenstein's lawyer David Price on the second day of hearings in the trial.
"You may have seen the best-selling film, Indecent Proposal, where Robert Redford plays a wealthy bachelor who offers a poor newly married couple, played by Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson, one million dollars if he can spend one night with the wife," Price told the Jury. "Brian Maccaba is no Robert Redford, but this was still an indecent proposal."
Maccaba disputes the allegations, saying that the hand-written note in which he purportedly offered Alain Attar $1 million for a life-time relationship with his wife Nathalie was an innocent piece of prose that had been misconstrued.
Maccaba's lawyer says that Attar's allegations against Maccaba has already been heard by a senior Rabbinical court and dismissed. It was after this that Rabbi Lichtenstein - who had initally been contacted by Nathalie Attar to complain of Maccaba's advances towards her - allegedly began his whispering campaign, the court was told.