Posted on 08/12/2002 9:05:56 PM PDT by My Favorite Headache
Saudi Arabian man accused of molesting girl fails to show in court
Tuesday, August 13, 2002
By JANINE A. ZEITLIN, jazeitlin@naplesnews.com
A frustrated mother shot off cell phone calls in the halls of the Collier County Courthouse on Monday after a Saudi man charged with sexually molesting her 13-year-old daughter didn't show for court.
With little luck, she tried to find out why.
Farouk Murad
Dr. Farouk Murad, 66, a former Saudi Arabian government official and United Nations adviser, was listed on Monday's arraignment docket. But Assistant State Attorney Steve Maresca said Jerry Berry, Murad's criminal lawyer, filed a not-guilty plea prior to the arraignment and neither Murad nor Berry were required to attend.
The trial date is set for Oct. 21 before Collier Circuit Judge Lauren Miller, said Maresca, who is assigned to the case.
That was news to the girl's mother, a UN criminologist and former friend of Murad, who spends the summers on Marco Island.
She has postponed her family's return abroad to see the case shake out. Her name isn't being published because she shares the same last name as the victim in the sexual-assault case.
"I should know that he's pleading not guilty. Somebody should tell the little girl," said her mother, who combed the courtrooms for Murad or Berry from 8 to 11 a.m. "How are they representing the girl when the girl doesn't know what was happening?"
Murad was arrested early July 14 on felony charges of lewd battery-sexual act with a child 12 to 15 years old, which upon conviction carries a maximum 15-year sentence. He was also charged with false imprisonment of a child under 13, which carries a potential life sentence, officials said.
The day before, police say, Murad — a longtime friend of the girl's family — took the girl, then 12, and her brother and sister, to his room at the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort. Murad then sent her siblings to get ice while he kissed and fondled the girl, a report said.
Murad posted a $50,000 cash bond set by Collier Circuit Judge Ted Brousseau on July 15. His passport was not detained and the next night, investigators say, Murad boarded a plane to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Berry, who couldn't be reached for comment Monday, initially said Murad would return for Monday's court date.
The United States does not have an extradition treaty with Saudi Arabia. Legally, there is no way to force his return.
Marco police said Brousseau should have known Murad — who listed Riyadh as his home address on his booking sheet — was an obvious flight risk. Court officials said Marco police or the state should have clearly requested no bond if they thought Murad would leave. But no one did.
The girl's mother sat through arraignments with the co-owners of Dunn Title, a Naples company that does title searches, while waiting to hear the name that never came. Murad is suing Dunn Title in a civil case.
Dunn Title lawyers have subpoenaed Murad as a witness in their mid-September trial over distribution of funds from a refinancing, said Al Di Donato, the company's co-owner.
But they don't expect his return, he said: "Yeah, when cows fly, that's when you'll see him back."
Brousseau recused himself from Murad's civil case against Dunn Title in April because of a business relationship with Murad's civil attorney, Louis Amato.
The judge and Amato, who was listed on Murad's booking sheet as next of kin, own a small plane together. Amato has said he's trying to sell his share. Amato could not be reached for comment Monday.
After interviews with the girl, Marco Detective Kevin Hennings wanted to tack on additional charges including sexual battery, child abuse and encouraging sexual performance of a child. But on Monday, Marco Police Chief Roger Reinke would not confirm or deny whether the police had done that.
Maresca said the State's Attorney Office hasn't filed more charges but didn't reject the possibility in the future.
Dr. Murad, you have a choice. You can volunteer to fly back to Florida and plea bargain 15 years in prison, or you can stand trial in Ryadh, where you'll be sure to loose your head. So which is it?
It was what he was in the process of doing and got caught that led to all of this.
Just like his hero Muhammad, but he raped a 9 year old.
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