Police say the victim was sexually assaulted by an international business man.
Mahmoud Abdel Salam Omar, 74, is the former chairman of an Egyptian bank. Now, he is under arrest, accused of attacking the woman after she was called to his room.
There was no immediate information on whether Omar has an attorney. He was being held Monday night at the 19th Precinct. Police said further details will be released at the suspect's arraignment.Omar is accused of sexually abusing a housekeeper Sunday night at the Pierre Hotel on East 61st Street. The luxury hotel is right across from Central Park, at Fifth Avenue, on the Upper East Side.
Omar is the former chairman of the Bank of Alexandria, one of Egypt's biggest banks. He is currently chairman of a salt production company.
Police say the maid was called to Omar's room Sunday night to drop off a box of tissues. Once she was inside, police say Omar would not let her leave. The 44-year-old victim told police that Omar was dressed in pajamas and immediately locked the door and began groping her and trying to kiss her.
The maid says Omar finally let her go when she gave him her phone number, which wasn't her real number. The encounter was not reported to police until Monday morning, and that's when Omar was arrested at the hotel.
The maid apparently reported the incident immediately, but was told she need to report directly to her superior, who was not at the hotel until Monday.
All this comes just two weeks after an alleged attack on a maid at another hotel, this one by former International Monetary Fund leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn, of France.
In a statement to reporters, the Pierre Hotel says it will fully comply with the investigation. A hotel spokesman says the Pierre's priority is the safety of its guests and staff.
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