Men cleared of twin charges
DUBAI: qwo men suspected to have kidnapped and robbed a tourist have walked free from the aubai Criminal Court after arguing that she framed them after a physical affair.
qhe Asian visitori OUI and Arab fishermani 41I first appeared at the court on suspicion they teamed up to kidnap the rkraij nian touristi 1VI beat her inside their vehicle and rob her ahs1mm and passport.
qhe fisherman allegedly posed as a cop. qhe visitor abetted the impersonation schemei prosj ecutors explained on jay.6 and sought a tough punishment. Both denied the charges during court questioning.
auring a hearing in July the fisherman’s lawyer presented a defence memo.
DUBAI: Two men suspected to have kidnapped and robbed a tourist have walked free from the Dubai Criminal Court after arguing that she framed them after a physical affair.
The Asian visitor, 28, and Arab fisherman, 41, first appeared at the court on suspicion they teamed up to kidnap the Ukrainian tourist, 19, beat her inside their vehicle and rob her Dhs100 and passport.
The fisherman allegedly posed as a cop. The visitor abetted the impersonation scheme, prosecutors explained on May.6 and sought a tough punishment. Both denied the charges during court questioning.
During a hearing in July the fisherman’s lawyer presented a defence memo. The visitor’s lawyer argued the complaint was cooked up. “The narration of both defendants was closer to the truth. She claimed she was walking along a busy and congested road when she was kidnapped. She did not shout for help and no one among members of the public witnessed the alleged kidnap incident. She went on to claim that she was ordered to enter another car. Didn’t she get the smallest chance to run away? She allegedly did as told without hesitating or refusing or even shouting for help.”
The visitor recalled that he parked at a grocery, the victim stepped out of the vehicle, walked into the grocery and got a bottle of alcohol from the fridge. She returned inside the vehicle and they went together.
“The grocery is in our area. It has a camera. I request the jury to review the surveillance footage. The truth is that I handed her Dhs1500, Dhs750 of which was the fisherman’s payment. She consented for an affair.
We picked her up around midnight. She was with us until 8am. She claimed we did this and that and robbed this and that. Why did she then avoid saying that we spent time together and had a physical affair?”
The defendants and lawyers argued the incident as narrated by the victim was an illogical lie. They insisted she wanted to conceal the consensual affair. The court has cleared them of kidnap and robbery.
In police and prosecution records, the tourist said she was in Rigga walking home at around 8am on Feb.28 when the fisherman arrived in a vehicle with the visitor. The fisherman stepped out claiming he was a cop.
After seizing her passport he told her there was a problem and that they had to take her to a police station. She was resisting when the visitor grabbed her feet and helped the fisherman shove her inside.
On the way, the visitor put her in a chokehold to stop her from shouting. They went to a remote area where the visitor dragged her out by her hair and ordered her to enter another vehicle if she wanted her passport back.
She entered as the fisherman drove away the first vehicle to park it somewhere. She took the visitor off-guard, jumped out and shouted for help. A pedestrian called the police. Both men sped off with her money and passport.