Drunk waiter accused of molesting colleague in storeroom

Dubai: A waiter has been accused of following a waitress into a storeroom and kissing and groping her in there while he was under the influence of liquor.

The Nepalese waiter, N.K., 26, was said to be too drunk when he molested his countrywoman waitress in a storeroom behind the food court at Ibn Battuta Mall in June.

Prosecutors charged N.K. with drinking and molestation.

The defendant was not present at the Dubai Court of First Instance where he was scheduled to enter his plea on Sunday.

According to the charges, prosecutors said the suspect walked into the storeroom and pushed the waitress towards the wall before he kissed her against her will and groped her.

The Nepalese woman told prosecutors that she took her lunchbreak and went into the storeroom to have her lunch.

“The suspect, who is not allowed to be inside the storeroom, came in behind me. When I asked him why he came, he claimed that he had been looking for me … I told him to go out. Instead, he closed the door and walked towards me. Once he came beside me, I realised that he was drunk. He pushed me to the wall and kissed me forcibly … I tried to prevent him, but he pushed my hands away and kissed me. He also groped me. The door cannot be opened from inside, so when I freed myself from him, I knocked the door from inside for someone to hear me from outside. An Egyptian manager, who works in another food chain, opened the door and came in. Then the suspect stopped what he had been doing … N.K. then begged me not to tell anybody what he had done,” she testified.

Records said the manager reported the matter to the police when he was told what had happened.

“I saw the doorknob being moved from outside and realised that someone had been stuck in the storeroom … so when I opened the door, the waitress seemed scared and had been crying as she leaned to a wall. I restrained the defendant and called the police,” testified the manager.

Presiding judge Urfan Omar adjourned the case until the suspect is legally notified about the next hearing.