Dubai: A passenger landed in court on Sunday for hugging a stewardess and kissing her when she agreed to take a selfie with him on an Emirates Airlines flight.
The 42-year-old Tanzanian passenger, M.A., was said to be flying from Dar Al Salam on a visit to Dubai when he hugged and kissed the American stewardess against her will in May.
The passenger took the American woman by surprise and kissed her. She reported him to the police once the plane landed at the Dubai International Airport, according to records.
Prosecutors charged M.A. with molestation.
The suspect was present before the Dubai Court of First Instance but he failed to enter a plea due to language barriers.
According to the accusation sheet, prosecutors said the suspect placed his arm around the stewardess’s shoulders and kissed her against her will.
The 25-year-old stewardess claimed to prosecutors that the incident happened on a Dubai-bound trip when the suspect asked her for a photo.
“We were flying back from Dar Al Salam when the suspect asked to take a commemorative photo with me using the Emirates Airlines’ camera. While clicking the photo, he held his arm around my shoulders to hug me but the chief flight attendant scolded him. Then he suggested clicking a selfie using his mobile phone … I stood beside him and while he positioned his phone to click the photo, he hugged me and kissed my neck. I pushed him away instantly,” the American testified to prosecutors.
The suspect was cited as admitting to prosecutors that he talked to the stewardess into taking a photo with him and when he kissed her neck, she got angry and yelled at him.
Presiding judge Fahd Al Shamsi adjourned the hearing until a Swahili language translator is made available when the court reconvenes on July 24.
