27 June,2011 11:43 AM IST | | ANI
Egyptian businessman Mahmoud Abdel Salam Omar has pleaded guilty to kissing and groping a hotel maid at the Pierre hotel, and faces a possible seven-year prison term besides a five million dollar lawsuit
Omar admitted on Friday that he had smooched the hotel maid on the lips, and groped her breasts inside his 900 dollar-a-night room at The Pierre, the New York Daily News reports.
As part of his plea before Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Rita Mella, Omar paid 250 dollars in fines, had to perform five days of community service, and was ordered to stay out of trouble for a year.
Omar, the former chairman of the Egypt's Bank of Alexandria and the Federation of Egyptian Banks, was also slapped with a five million dollars lawsuit in the Manhattan Federal Court.u00a0u00a0
She "sustained serious and permanent personal injuries, along with humiliation, shame, indignity, damage to reputation and suffered emotional distress," the suit said.
Lori Cohen, a lawyer for the businessman, however said that the maid brought the allegations with the intention of earning a huge amount.
"Service of a five million dollar lawsuit speaks to her motivation from the beginning - loudly and clearly," Cohen added.
She also said that her client will not make any settlement with the maid, and that he had already finished his community service by serving vegetables at a local soup kitchen.
Omar was arrested on May 30 after the unwelcome encounter inside Room 1027 at the swanky E. 61st St. hotel.