Dubai: A manager has been accused of kissing his co-worker and unbuttoning her shirt and groping her repeatedly at his desk when he asked her to stay until after closing time.
The Filipina co-worker was said to have stayed after closing hours in the company after her 29-year-old Egyptian manager had asked her to do so to discuss business issues in June 2016.
After everybody had left the company, the Filipina went to the manager’s desk, according to records, where they had a meeting during which they discussed work for 15 minutes.
Then the manager moved towards where she was seated and touched her face, neck and shoulder before he opened her shirt’s buttons and groped her several times.
The woman claimed that she cried and begged him to stop but he did not, said records.
The Egyptian then kissed her ears and neck and when she denied that she intended to land him in trouble, he slapped her twice.
The Filipina reported the matter to the police who apprehended the manager.
Prosecutors accused the suspect of molesting the Filipina.
The suspect pleaded not guilty when he appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday.
The Filipina testified before prosecutors that the incident happened after the suspect demanded her to stay in the office until after closing time.
“I had to stay and wait for him because he claimed that he wanted to discuss work with me. I suspected that he had a bad intention, so I opened the voice recorder on my phone to record our conversation. Fifteen minutes after having discussed work problems, he moved towards the seat in front of me and asked me if I liked him. Then he touched my face and told me not to worry. I asked him not to touch me but he did it again. Then he also touched my neck and shoulders … then he unbuttoned my shirt and I was too scared and shocked at his behaviour. I cried bitterly and begged him to stop, but he didn’t and then he groped me. He continued harassing me physically and once he tried to kiss me, I pushed him away. He asked me ‘why do you want to land him in trouble?’ but when I denied, he slapped me twice,” she claimed to prosecutors.
During Tuesday’s hearing, the suspect’s lawyer argued that the Filipina had lodged her case out of malice.
The lawyer contended that the claimant had waived her complaint against the suspect and that she had fabricated all allegations out of malice.
The ruling will be heard on December 17.
