Dubai: A manager has lost his appeal and will serve three months jail term for kissing his co-worker and groping her repeatedly at his desk after making her stay in the office after working hours.

The Filipina co-worker was asked by her 29-year-old Egyptian manager to stay back in the office after the working hours as he wanted to discuss some business issues with her in June 2016.

After everyone else had left the office, the Filipina went to her manager’s desk where they discussed official matters for 15 minutes. After that the manager moved towards her chair and touched her face, neck and shoulder and groped her after unbuttoning her shirt’s buttons.

The Filipina cried and begged him to stop but he did not listen to her.

In December, the Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced the Egyptian defendant to three months in jail for molesting his co-worker.

The defendant appealed his primary judgement and asked the Appeal Court to acquit him after he pleaded not guilty.

When he defended himself in the appellate court, the manager denied molesting the victim and claimed that she lodged her case out of malice after he had slapped her.

Presiding judge Saeed Salem Bin Sarm dismissed the defendant’s appeal and upheld his three-month jail sentence.

The accused will be deported after serving his punishment.

The Filipina said the incident happened after the defendant made her to stay in the office after working hours.

“When he made me stay in the office after working hours, I suspected his intentions. I kept the voice recorder in my phone on to record our conversation. Fifteen minutes after having discussed official issues with me, he moved towards me asked if I liked him. When he touched my face, I asked him not to do so but he did it again. He touched my neck and shoulders … then he unbuttoned my shirt and groped me. I cried and begged him to stop, but he didn’t listen to my pleas. He continued harassing me physically and also tried to kiss me, I pushed him away. He slapped me twice,” she testified.

The defendant’s lawyer argued in court that the Filipina complained against his client out of malice and that later she had waived her complaint.

The appellate ruling remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court.