Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Doctor who fled while on bail on sex assault charge arrested in Greece

Walid Abdelhamid

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Walid Abdelhamid

A doctor who fled Canada after being charged with sexually assaulting a teenage boy in a Winnipeg hospital has been arrested in Greece.

Winnipeg Police Service said Dr. Walid Abdelhamid was arrested and detained in Greece by airport security.

WPS spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen said Abdelhamid will be returned to Canada to face charges against him.

"It’s a long, long drawn-out process (getting him back)," he said.

The Libyan-born Abdelhamid — who was working in Canada on a training visa — fled while on bail following his arrest in June 2009 on charges he sexually assaulted a teen on two occasions at Health Sciences Centre.

The Crown fought hard to keep Abdelhamid behind bars, saying he would likely flee Canada and never return to face justice if released.

At the time, the Crown noted he had made at least four recent trips to visit his family in Austria.

Abdelhamid's father was a wealthy, high-ranking official in the Libyan government. The father's status led to speculation Abdelhamid might have found access to a diplomatic passport and fled overseas.

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