Dubai: Eight workers have been cleared of terrorising five of their co-workers with a knife and a stick, stealing their identification documents and threatening to harm them if they moved out to a new accommodation.

The eight workers — four Pakistanis, two Indians and two Bangladeshis — allegedly threatened to assault their co-workers and scared them with a stick and a knife in an attempt to prevent them from moving out from the company’s old accommodation to a newer one in March.

Due to lack of corroborated evidence, the Dubai Court of First Instance acquitted the eight suspects of theft and threat.

One of the Bangladeshi defendants was sentenced in absentia. The rest had pleaded not guilty.

According to Thursday’s ruling, the defendants were acquitted of stealing their co-workers’ personal identification papers and ID cards. They were also cleared of threatening to harm the co-workers had they agreed to the company’s decision to be moved out to the new accommodation.

One of the company’s Indian partners claimed to prosecutors that the incident happened after the company decided to move their labour accommodation from Al Muhaisnah to Al Sajaa.

“We informed our employees to prepare themselves for the move. The suspects refused to move out to the new accommodation and they repeatedly incited the other workers to oppose the company’s decision. They also encouraged them to strike and riot in an attempt to prevent the company from moving the accommodation to the new location. When most of the workers refused to strike and comply with the suspects’ call for a strike, they threatened them and stole their IDs. Witnesses said one of the suspects carried a small knife and threatened to use it against any worker who would leave the old accommodation,” testified the partner.

An Indian warehouse keeper told prosecutors that the accused persons threatened to harm them if they agreed to move out.

“Most of the workers had arranged their belongings and kept them outside in the corridors when the accused ganged up against us … they threatened to harm us and coerced us to hand them over our IDs to prevent us from moving. When the suspects went to sleep, we sneaked out and reported the matter to the supervisor who informed the police,” he claimed to prosecutors.

Thursday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.