Court overturns charity verdict

DUBAI // A woman found not guilty of breaching the recently enacted law on charity fundraising will be deported after prosecutors successfully appealed against the verdict. The Dubai Court of Appeal ruled that the British executive, 41, had promoted a charity without a licence and benefited financially from it.

She was reported to police in January by the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities and then referred to prosecutors, who said she fraudulently obtained benefits from volunteer workers.

Prosecutors said she had taken a false name and launched a website and Facebook page, which they said she used to persuade people to volunteer with helping the sick and needy and from which she gained financially.

She was charged with using the website and Facebook page to promote a charity that asked people to donate money for the hospital treatment of two young brothers suffering from a serious liver condition. The woman was found not guilty of the charge on June 29, but prosecutors appealed. On Sunday, the appeal court fined her Dh5,000 and ordered that she be deported.

A prosecution source said that a file containing evidence against the woman was presented and was the reason behind her conviction.

The source said the court’s verdict was unanimous.

“She was doing this for some time and the IACAD warned her first but when she didn’t listen to the warning, they reported her,” the source said.

Under the law in this case, deportation is automatic.