Former banker held over sex charge

A former chairman of a major Egyptian bank is being held on $25,000 (€17,000) bail after being charged with sexually abusing a housekeeper at a luxury New York City hotel.

Mahmoud Abdel Salam Omar was arraigned just before midnight in Manhattan.

His lawyer told the court that her client “adamantly denies the charges against him”.

Authorities said a maid was called to Omar’s room at The Pierre on Sunday night to drop off tissues. Police said the 74-year-old Omar would not let her leave and touched her inappropriately.

Omar chairs the board of the El-Mex Salines Co, a state-run salt production company.

His biography on the company’s site says he is a former chairman of Egypt’s Bank of Alexandria, of the Egyptian American Bank and of the Federation of Egyptian Banks.