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Egyptian Banker Accused Of Sexually Assaulting NYC Hotel Maid
By
Jen Chung
Published May 31, 2011
Modified May 31, 2011
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WCBS 2
By
Jen Chung
Published May 31, 2011
Modified May 31, 2011
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Last night, police questioned the former chairman of one of Egypt's biggest banks for hours because a maid at the Pierre Hotel accused him of sexually abusing her. According to WCBS 2, Mahmoud Abdel Salam Omar is now "awaiting arraignment Tuesday on charges of sexual abuse, unlawful imprisonment, forcible touching and harassment." The alleged attack comes two weeks after IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a maid at the Sofitel in Times Square.
The Post reports that Omar had asked for a box of tissues on Sunday around 6 p.m.: He "quickly locked the door behind her, according to police. Then, the elderly banker"—who was either wearing a robe or pajamas at the time—"allegedly grabbed her breasts and began kissing her on the lips and neck." The maid said, "I'm not up here for that." Then Omar allegedly asked her for her phone number, and the maid supplied a fake one.
The maid went to the hotel manager to report the incident, but the manager apparently told her she needed to report it to a supervisor...who wasn't working on Sunday. So the maid had to wait until Monday to report the incident to the police. Police spokesman Paul Browne said, "Experienced NYPD detectives found the complainant to be credible." The NYPD said more details would be released upon the arraignment.
A friend of Omar's, spotted checking in on him, told the Post, "We are friends of his and just wanted to check up on him. We wanted to make sure he was alive. He's an old man but a good man, a family man. He's a grandfather. We just wanted to be sure he was alright."
Tagged
bad behavior
hotel maid
Mahmoud Abdel Salam Omar
pierre hotel
sexual assault
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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