Two visitors to UAE charged with kidnap, robbery

Dubai Two visitors have been charged with tricking a worker into believing they would drive him home, after which they allegedly stole his wallet and tossed him out of the car.

Prosecutors accused the two Ethiopian visitors, aged 26 years, of kidnapping with deception an Indian worker and stealing Dh3,400 from him, after beating him up.

The accused, H.P. and D.S., denied the charges and pleaded not guilty before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

"We are innocent and we didn't take the claimant's money. We did not kidnap him, but he joined us in the car consensually without any coercion," contended H.P. when he defended himself before Presiding Judge Al Saeed Mohammad Barghout.

Meanwhile his compatriot, D.S., argued in courtroom nine: "Your honour, I am innocent. We didn't kidnap him or beat him at all".

Charge sheet

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said H.P., D.S. and a third suspect who remains at large offered S.A. a ride home for Dh10.

The suspects were said to have stolen Dh3,400 from S.A.'s wallet after they assaulted and strangled him.

The claimant alleged that the incident happened after the defendants picked him up from Bur Dubai while he waited for a taxi.

A police first corporal testified that he questioned H.P and D.S. immediately after their arrest.

"H.P. claimed that they stopped in front of S.A. and offered to drive him home for Dh10. They drove for a while and then stopped. He claimed to me that he moved to the back seat and sat beside the claimant. H.P. alleged that he strangulated S.A. from his neck. Meanwhile the fugitive snatched his wallet... then they tossed him out of the running vehicle and continued driving," claimed the first corporal.