Dubai: A salesman has been accused of molesting a receptionist and attempting to kiss her inside an elevator after he walked in behind her when she was heading to her apartment.

The 21-year-old Filipina receptionist shouted out and called her neighbours to help her restrain the 25-year-old Egyptian salesman and stop him from running away.

Prosecutors said the defendant, M.A., grabbed the Filipina by her arms, pulled her towards him and attempted to kiss her in the building where she lived in Al Ghusais on August 6.

The suspect did not enter a plea before the Dubai Court of First Instance where he was scheduled to be prosecuted on Sunday.

Presiding judge Maher Salama Al Mahdi adjourned the case until later this month.

The 21-year-old woman testified that the incident took place at around 3pm after she was walking back from work.

“I took the elevator up to the 12th floor where I live. I remembered that I left my house keys on my desk at work so I went back down. On the way out I bumped into our supervisor who told me not to go back to work for the keys because he had a spare set. I went up with him to his flat on the seventh floor and got the spare keys.”

The woman said she then got into an elevator and pressed the button to the 12th floor to go back home.

“The suspect was already inside [when I got in],” she said. “When I noticed that the lift was going to go down, I immediately got out and jumped into the second lift. Surprisingly, the defendant followed me into the other lift. He did not respond when I asked him which floor he wanted to go to,” she recalled.

“When the elevator reached the ninth floor, the suspect grabbed me by my arm and pulled me towards him. Then he tried to hug and kiss me on my lips. I got frightened and pushed him away. I then started crying and screaming. The lift stopped and the suspect jumped out and tried to run away. My neighbours heard me shouting so they chased him down and restrained him before he escaped,” claimed the receptionist.

Records said police arrested M.A. as soon as they arrived at the building.

An Indian bartender testified that saw the suspect follow the woman into the elevator and heard her cries for help.