Ras Al Khaimah: Inspectors from the RAK Department of Economic Development have temporarily shut down and fined a fitness centre for showing a pornographic channel.
According to Ahmad Al Beloushi, who heads the Inspection and Customer Protection Section at the department, the fitness centre was shut down for three days, and fined Dh2,000.
He said the department received a tip-off from a client of the centre about at least one porn channel among the channel package that the centre was showing to clients.
Al Beloushi said several inspectors were dispatched to the centre to look into the tip-off, which turned out to be genuine.
He said showing pornographic channels in commercial centres in Ras Al Khaimah is in direct violation of the relative laws issued by the RAK Department of Economic Development.
Al Beloushi said the owner of the centre signed an undertaking to remove all pornographic channels from the list within two days.
He said the centre will be permanently shut down and fined Dh20,000 should any pornographic channel is proved to still be on the centre's list. He stressed that the inspectors will be keeping a close eye on the centre to evaluate its adherence.
Hamad Al Shamsi, the department's deputy director, said the department will show no leniency towards violators and will implement the laws to ensure decency prevails in the emirate, adding that showing such pornographic channels in a fitness centre that provides a service to the public was a direct violation of the society's religious, ethical and moral standards.
Al Shamsi urged the public to report such violations.
Meanwhile, the department's inspectors have also seized huge quantities of indecent tattoos and stickers that several children's stores have been selling.
He added that all the quantities were seized, with a fine of Dh1,000 imposed on every violating shop.
