Mahmoud Abdel Salam Omar, Former Chairman Of Major Egypt Bank, Arrested On Charges Of Sexually Abusing Hotel Maid

NEW YORK -- The former chairman of one of Egypt's major banks has been arrested on charges of sexually abusing a maid at a Manhattan hotel, just weeks after the arrest of former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn on similar allegations.

Police say Mahmoud Abdel Salam Omar was arrested at the Pierre Hotel on Monday morning.

The 74-year-old businessman is accused of sexually abusing the maid and holding her against her will inside his hotel room.

Police say the incident happened Sunday night.

Police spokesman Paul Browne says detectives found the complainant to be credible.

Omar is the former chairman of Egypt's Bank of Alexandria.

Strauss-Kahn quit as the leader of the International Monetary Fund on May 18 after he was charged with sexually assaulting a maid at a different city hotel. He has denied the allegations, but is under house arrest as he awaits trial.

Comments

[Lynda Lehmann]

10:32 AM on 06/01/2011

Power corrupts. Abuse of women is socio-pathic behavior. Period.

[HumDrumGirl]

07:23 PM on 06/01/2011

I agree completely.

[biggerjake]

09:24 AM on 06/01/2011

Either they have some really hot maids in New York or those old boys need to stop taking those hormone injections.

[walkinthedogdude]

11:35 PM on 05/31/2011

Well, if it's not then this guy is a total idiot who does not read newspapers, watch television or listen to the radio. If he did, then you would think he would have to conclude that right about now is not the time to do what he is alleged to have done.

[Cruel Justice Awaits]

12:15 AM on 06/01/2011

When would be a better time?

[Cruel Justice Awaits]

10:00 PM on 05/31/2011

hmmmmmm Its PANDEMIC!! Time for crop dusters loaded with estrogen or progesterone!!

This one better, mods?

[Afghanistan 2011]

11:09 PM on 05/31/2011

How poor that religion is.... how about all religions? They are all based on some mythical desert man. This religion is no different than yours. All of them are poor.

[VonnegutReader]

07:36 PM on 05/31/2011

Best comment I've heard on this: Two bankers down thousands to go. Bring on the maids. They're doing a better job than the SEC.

Seriously, maybe he just heard that you can get away with rape in NYC-even when you're a cop on duty.

This article from March 2009 details how Mata was willing to testify that Moreno did rape this woman in exchange for a plea deal:

http://www_.nypost.co_m/p/news/r_egional/it_em_UtnH2DN_KtTblbLjT1_9AZ8K

But the prosecution thought their case was so strong that they didn’t want to plead him out:

http://www_.nypost.co_m/p/news/r_egional/it_em_qW8cDHN_vBgjrxm9Ca_s0PYL

This clear cut evidence was deemed too prejudicial to be presented at trial. Admissions of guilt tend to make the jury think you did it.

It's ironic that Mata was willing to send his own partner to prison for up to 25 years but this jury was not.

[Mexeconomia]

07:04 PM on 05/31/2011

What is the big deal, this is just another case of "bankers just being bankers"

[chickline]

10:46 PM on 05/31/2011

Or some men just being men.

[StrawHat]

02:54 AM on 06/02/2011

Or "boys will be...convicts".

[virpilosus]

05:42 PM on 05/31/2011

I'd like to know how the crime was reported and followed up on...Did the hotel maid report? And the police actually came and arrested a powerful, rich man? Did this happen TWICE in a row in NYC??? Wow, I might be getting ready to be impressed. If this is a trend, I am happy to lend my "Go for it!" to all easily abused women (or men) in positions of weakness (such as workers in the service and hospitality industry) who are victimized by those (wealthy) persons who think their money buys them immunity from justice.

[mpsbh]

04:57 PM on 05/31/2011

What's with Muslim men, abusing women like they do? Who do they think they are? Pigs.

[virpilosus]

05:37 PM on 05/31/2011

The French guy was a Muslim? Methinks your "profiling" is showing a bit...

[Adrian Rodriguez21]

05:52 PM on 05/31/2011

Muslims are not the only woman abusers, don't be so racist

[babby201]

04:45 PM on 05/31/2011

You know , in the past when people didn't talk about sex , it was not unusual for household maids to get knocked up by the son of the house, if lucky she was dismissed with a check.
more often not.
And of course the maid was always in the wrong , despite the force or coercion used, simply because she had the audacity to have relations above her station in life.
How many of these illeagals in California have to put up with this , for fear of deportation.

[Louis Nardozi]

08:58 PM on 05/31/2011

What?!?!? no one here illegally has to put up with anything! GET OUT AND GO HOME!
I have sympathy for the raped but that's life as an outlaw. My wife is here legally and no one's raping her, I can tell you.

[Dan Same]

11:51 AM on 06/01/2011

So, it's okay for illegal immigrants to be raped because 'that's life as an outlaw'? Nice. Glad, you're protective of your wife. It would be more impressive if you could feel the same and illegal immigrants, who shouldn't be victimized either.

[HumDrumGirl]

07:34 PM on 06/01/2011

Did this not happen in New York? And is doing your job (in this woman's case, bringing tissues up to a room) an act that can justify a foreign national assulting you? There are of course cases of women being coerced into sexual acts for fear of being deportation, but it doesn't apply here. It's a bit insulting that you would bring that up in this situation. :\

[Peter Combs]

04:42 PM on 05/31/2011

he was probably just trying to explain to the maid about the virtues of Egypts new found freedoms and the wonder of Democracy.....

[flic fleurette]

05:40 PM on 05/31/2011

More likely the virtues of Viagra, he's 74 afterall. What's with these men in positions of power who think they have the right to do whatever they want or fulfill any fantasy they may harbour.

[Dan Crabtree]

04:38 PM on 05/31/2011

Well no question he is guilty..no need for a trial..come on he"s rich..so hes guilty..give him life.. in his case probably five years should do it and the maid 10 million and forget about it..untill the next visiting dignatary checks in..This game is just getting started..lots more coming..MAYBE YOU...GOOD LUCK...

[StrawHat]

09:06 PM on 05/31/2011

Stay out of New York hotels and you should be fine, Danno.

[dldesir3030]

03:02 PM on 06/01/2011

No, just STAY THE HELL OUT OF NEW YORK!!!!

[babby201]

04:37 PM on 05/31/2011

time to arm them with pepper spray , and send them to work in pairs.
think about it, your dentist always has an assistant ,not so much to help ,but to be a witness that nothing goes on.

[StrawHat]

09:07 PM on 05/31/2011

Dental assistants work their butts off -- it's exhausting work -- but yes, I agree with the working in pairs idea. Apparently some guys think it's open season on hospitality workers.

[judiNJ]

04:19 PM on 05/31/2011

Anyone else think there is something fishy going on here? How many more of these "so called attacks" will come out now. It only diminishes the actual case.

[Starling5]

04:56 PM on 05/31/2011

Yes, me.
See my post below.

[dldesir3030]

03:05 PM on 06/01/2011

Judi, you have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME....for MILLENIA men in powerful positions have used their power to get what they want by any means necessary simply because they are who they are...."so called attacks"??? God-forbid your hotel-cleaning mother or daughter be caught up in the same position as these poor workers. Shame on you!

[Janet S Sinclair]

04:14 PM on 05/31/2011

Whatever happened to the term 'gentleman' and the common courtesy of dating, seduction and then mutually approved intimacy? Has this 'man's world' gotten so perverted, foul, and abusive that even educated bankers and businessmen make light of penile attacks on unsuspecting female workers? Add to this the insulting common war strategy of raping Libyan women en mass as a benefit of enrolling in the Libyan military. I think that a world court made up of women whose sole purpose is to try, convict and punish rapists, sexual abusers and physical abusers is the only way that women will be able to secure justice and safety for themselves and their children.

[StrawHat]

09:10 PM on 05/31/2011

Agreed. We need a World Court run and staffed by women to try cases of sexual assault and government sanctioned cover-ups (and under-the-rug sweeping) -- maybe the idea of facing a woman judge and women jurors would put the fear in them that they so desperately lack.