Former Egyptian American Bank and Bank of Alexandria chairman Mahmoud Abdel-Salam Omar has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a maid after asking her to bring a box of tissues to his room at the Pierre Hotel in May, weeks after Dominique Strauss-Kahn was jailed under similar circumstances. According to Reuters his sentence includes five days of community service, followed by a year of probation.

Omar initially pleaded not guilty to the charges and was free after posting $25,000 bail. Manhattan assistant district attorney Nicole Bloomberg told DNAinfo in an interview after the arraignment that when the maid arrived with the tissues, Omar "squeezed her breast over her clothing" and "ground his groin against her leg." In court today, Omar admitted to Bloomberg that he had groped the victim and also tried to kiss her face and neck. 

Reuters writes that Omar's attorney says her client "pleaded guilty to the criminal charge so he could return home to see his sick wife." The accuser, meanwhile, has also filed a civil suit against Omar seeking damages of $5 million.

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Ray Gustini