Dubai: A United Nations employee has escaped a two-month imprisonment, but will be deported after a court convicted him of flashing his middle finger to a female airport staff.
The Dubai Appeals Court on Thursday cancelled the 34-year-old Briton's two-month jail and confirmed the deportation order against him.
The court incriminated the accused, who was on a visit to Dubai, of public indecency and cursing the 31-year-old Emirati woman, a public servant at Dubai International Airport.
Sources close to the case told Gulf News that the defendant is a UN staffer who serves in Afghanistan and was on a six-day visit to Dubai. Prosecution records identified the accused as a visitor.
Written waiver
According to the bill of charges, the Briton flashed his middle finger at the face of the Emirati girl and cursed her while she was attending to her duties.
"No I didn't flash my middle finger. I didn't curse the woman," argued the defendant when he pleaded not guilty before Presiding Judge Adnan Al Farra. His lawyer also presented a written waiver, which had been obtained from the claimant.
The Dubai Misdemeanours Court had earlier jailed the defendant to two months to be followed by deportation.
Police records said the incident happened when the Briton was informed that immigration officials refused his Ukrainian female friend a visa due to her young age.
The Emirati, who works as client services supervisor, testified: "The passport control counter refused to process her [convict's friend's] visa because of her young age... The defendant was explaining to my colleague the purpose of his friend's visit, when I told him that he needed to explain that to the immigration official… suddenly he got irritated and flashed his middle finger in my face and cursed me."
