Saudi Arabian diplomat, Fawaz Abdul Rahman Alshubaili prematurely left the country yesterday after he was subjected to what has been termed an ’embarrassing ordeal’ at the hands of four local police officers.

Members of the local Muslim community are now demanding an apology from this country’s Commissioner of Police James Philbert on behalf of his officers, whom they say treated the man, who is a Saudi Arabian government official, in ’an appalling manner’.

Imtiaz Mohammed, chairman of the Muslims of Trinidad and Tobago organisation, last night told the Express Alshubaili was interrogated and forced to partially strip by the officers, one of whom he identified as Assistant Commissioner of Police Raymond Craig.

Contacted last night, Philbert said while Craig did admit to visiting the diplomat’s hotel room at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port of Spain on Monday evening, he said his officers did not say they searched Alshubaili.

He said, ’I spoke to Mr Craig, who said they went to investigate a claim of someone handing out visas at the Hyatt.’

’This is not normal, so we as the police have the right to investigate such a claim,’ Philbert said.

According to Mohammed, Alshubaili came into the country to process visas for local Muslims hoping to take the annual Holy Pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Philbert said upon investigation, they found this claim was true and his officers simply asked Alshubali some questions.

However, Mohammed said Alshubaili was disgraced and interrogated and the community would not take it lightly and will be writing to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and other authorities.

’If the police wanted to know, they could have called authorities to find out, not make him undress and question him for so long.’

He said local Muslims are profoundly disturbed and would also be writing the heads of state of all the Muslim nations who will be attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government conference later this month, to ask them to boycott if they do not get an apology.

But Philbert said his officers conducted themselves in a proper manner and were well within their rights.