What's With Bankers Molesting Hotel Staffers?

A second prominent banker was arrested on accusations of sexual assault against a maid.

Mahmoud Abdel Salam Omar, the former chairman of Egypt's Bank of Alexandria, spent the night in Riker's Island prison on accusations that he sexually assaulted a maid at New York's Pierre Hotel. He was ordered to surrender his travel documents and was hit with bail numbers of $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash.

Omar is the second prominent banker to be arrested for sex crimes against a New York maid recently. Last month, former International Monetary Fund (and potential French Presidential candidate) Dominique Strauss-Kahn was arrested on charges of sexual assault and attempted rape against a different hotel maid.

Strauss-Kahn was later released, but not until he posted $1 million cash bail and $5 million bond. He also surrendered his passport, is required to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet and is under 24-hour armed guard at a rented townhouse in Lower Manhattan.

Omar was arrested Monday after the 44-year-old housekeeper alleged he attacked her the day before, according to a police spokesman.

Omar “wrapped his arms tightly around the informant's body and while holding the informant, kissed the informant's neck and lips,” Detective Efrain Curet said in the criminal complaint. Omar then grabbed the maid a second time and groped her, according to the criminal complaint.

Authorities have charged Omar with sexual abuse in the first degree, sexual abuse in the third degree and forcible touching. After the alleged incident, Omar allegedly asked the maid for her telephone number. She gave Omar a fake number before leaving the room, police said.

If convicted of the top charge, Omar faces seven years in prison.

The Pierre hotel released a statement about the incident as well.

“Pierre's priority is the safety of the guests and our staff,” the hotel said in a statement. “We take all complaints very seriously and investigate it thoroughly.”