A Saudi Arabian diplomat who molested a 20-year-old hotel intern while on holiday in Singapore last year was sentenced in the State Courts to 26 months and one week in jail Friday (3 February).

Bander Yahya A. Alzahrani will also be given four strokes of the cane. The father of three was found guilty on Wednesday after eight days of trial.

The 39-year-old diplomat had kissed the victim on the neck and face, and groped her on two occasions on 14 August last year. He was also found guilty of causing wrongful restraint, as well as forcing the victim to touch him.

Alzahrani’s lawyer, Shashi Nathan, said in mitigation that Alzahrani had claimed trial because he felt that he was innocent and that he respects the court’s decision.

Nathan pointed out that it was “poor judgement” that led to the “out of character” act, and that Alzahrani “should have been more prudent.” The whole situation has been humiliating for Alzahrani, who had been detained at Changi Prison for the last couple of days, Nathan added.

Alzharani was employed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Saudi Arabia for about eight years prior to his appointment as a diplomat for the Saudi Arabia embassy in Beijing, where he has been employed for the last two years.

Officials from the Saudi embassy in Singapore were seen sitting in the court’s public gallery during Alzahrani’s sentencing.

“For his culture and a person of his position, this has been deeply, deeply embarrassing,” Nathan said.

Deputy Public Prosecutors April Pang and Kenny Yang had pushed for Alzahrani to be jailed 27-and-a-half months and given four strokes of cane.

In meting out the sentence, District Judge Lee Poh Choo rejected the defence’s notion that Alzahrani is a respected character. She said that Alzahrani preyed on a young and naïve victim, who had to be “put through the trauma of recounting something she wants to forget”.

Alzharani will appeal against his conviction and sentence, Nathan said. Bail was set at $20,000.