A police officer in the Eastern Province has been arrested for sexually assaulting a Filipino trailer driver on April 13 at the Khurais checkpoint along the Dammam-Riyadh Expressway, some 165 km from the Saudi capital.

Christian C. Aban, 31, who works for the Riyadh-based Al-Qhatani Transport and Contracting Est., said his employer had informed him that the accused wanted to settle the case with him. However, he would need to travel to Al-Ahsa, Hofuf in order to resolve the issue.

Aban sought the assistance of the Philippine Embassy for advise and help. The victim had initially filed his complaint with the Azizia police station in Riyadh and then forwarded the complaint to the Khurais police station in Dammam, which has jurisdiction over the case.

The company’s liaison officer accompanied Aban to the police station in Khurais.

He said that police officers of the station were made to take part in an identification parade and he identified his attacker who admitted his guilt.

He added that he later received a phone call informing him that the officer in question had been arrested.

Aban said he decided to file a complaint despite his assailant’s warnings and intimidation, because he feared other drivers would face similar attacks if he remained silent.

Aban arrived to work in the Kingdom on June 2, 2013. He has a family and two kids in his hometown of Jaro in Iloilo, in Western Visayas in Central Philippines.