Salesman loses job for groping colleague

dubai — A salesman lost his job at a clothing shop after a colleague accused him of sexually harassing her.

The 32-year-old Tunisian man is standing trial at the Dubai Court of First Instance, accused of groping a Filipina colleague twice at the shop where they work.

The incident took place on July 29, 2018. It was reported at Al Rashidiya police station.

The complainant, a 41-yearold, said that the incident happened at the end of her shift. “I was about to check out at the end of my shift when the defendant approached me, asking me whether I wanted him to do it again.”

She ignored him thinking that he was not talking to her. “However, as I was walking out of the shop, he touched me inappropriately. I was so shocked that I was not able to talk or scream at him. I reported him the next day to the administration,” she told the prosecutor.

During the public prosecution investigation, she said that the accused groped her twice in July that year at the shop.

A 36-year-old Filipina manager confirmed that the employee told her about the defendant’s doings.

“I learned from her that the accused touched her inappropriately the first time around 4pm while she was standing near the cashier counter. She ignored that thinking it happened by mistake. However, he repeated what he did when that employee was busy speaking on the phone at the entrance at 5pm.”

An internal probe was then conducted.

During prosecution investigation, a 30-year-old Filipino storekeeper said he saw the defendant touching the complainant the first time. “She told him then not to do it again. She told me the following day that he repeated it when she was leaving work. She said she would inform the administration.”

A security recording capturing the incident was used as public prosecution evidence. A ruling will be pronounced on January 29. —