SINGAPORE: An Egyptian man in Singapore for a conference herded two women into a lift at Marina Bay Sands and molested one of them, before lifting his shirt and insulting her modesty.
Wael Mohamed Abdelmagid Ibrahim Kandil, 38, pleaded guilty on Monday (Sep 25) to one count each of molestation and insulting a woman's modesty.
A third count of using criminal force by pushing the victim into the lift will be considered in sentencing.
The court heard that Wael was the director of sales for Simply Gourmet, a company based in the United Arab Emirates.
He was in Singapore for a week in April 2023 for a conference.
At about 3am on Apr 29, a 36-year-old Vietnamese woman and a 39-year-old Singaporean woman were at the entrance to a lift lobby outside restaurant and bar Ce La Vi on the 57th floor at Marina Bay Sands.
Wael approached both of them. The two women did not want to interact with him, the court heard.
Undeterred, Wael continued talking to them and followed them into the lift lobby.
STOPPED OTHERS FROM ENTERING LIFT
Wael, who was with his brother and friend, put his hands on both women's shoulders to massage them. The younger woman moved his hand off her shoulder, while the other told Wael not to touch them.
When the lift arrived, Wael pushed the older woman in the direction of the lift.
She was unwilling to enter with Wael and the other men, but Wael herded her and the younger woman into the lift.
Wael gestured to stop other people from entering the lift. Once inside, he continued to talk to the two women, before suddenly reaching out and flicking the younger woman's nipple several times.
The victim was shocked and angry and both women confronted Wael.
Wael did not apologise. Instead, he looked at the victim and touched his own nipple before lifting his shirt up, exposing it to her.
When they got to the ground floor, the two women quickly left and reported what happened to security officers.
Wael and his companions told the officers that the two women were drunk, and asked them to give the women some water.
The two women reiterated that Wael had molested the victim, and the security officers detained the men before reviewing closed-circuit television footage from inside the lift.
One of the officers lodged a police report and Wael was arrested.
CLAIMED WOMEN CRIED MOLEST BECAUSE OF MONEY
Wael told an investigation officer that the two women had offered sexual services to him for money, and had raised molest allegations when he refused to pay them enough.
Because of these allegations, the investigation officer had to carry out further investigations to disprove the claims and took statements from the two women.
On Monday, Wael's lawyer told the court that his client has been in Singapore for about five months due to the case.
In the interim, he has been trying to extend his residence visa in Dubai, where his wife and two children are living.
The lawyer said Wael's wife is Russian. She and her two children do not have citizenship in Dubai nor Egypt.
If the visa expires, Wael's wife and children will have to go back to Russia, "which is very dangerous for them at the moment", and Wael's business "will be lost", said the lawyer.
Wael will return to court for sentencing in November.
For molestation, he could be jailed for up to three years, fined, caned, or given any combination of these punishments.
For insulting modesty, he could be jailed for up to a year, fined, or both.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sin...st-woman-marina-bay-sands-claim-drunk-3798871
