SALT LAKE CITY — The state’s top court has rejected an appeal filed by the Royal Consulate of the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia over bail in an Orem rape case.
The case centers around Monsour Alshammari, a Saudi national who was arrested last year on a rape charge. Police said he originally claimed to be a member of the Saudi royal family (something police said they could not verify). The court ruling states the Saudi Arabian consulate posted $100,000 cash for Alshammari’s bail. He skipped a court appearance (before later being arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border) and forfeited the bail money.
A booking mugshot of Monsour Alshammari
The Royal Consulate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia filed a petition with the Utah Supreme Court, arguing it should have gotten notice that the bail money would be forfeited. In its decision, the court said the consulate is not a bail bonds company, and any disagreement over the money is between it and Alshammari.
Alshammari pleaded guilty to a rape charge and was sentenced to a year in jail and deportation.
Read the ruling by the Utah Supreme Court here:
