Dubai: A maid has been cleared of stealing valuables from her sponsor’s house when the latter went to spend last year’s Eid Al Fitr out with his family.
The Emirati sponsor took his wife and children and went to spend a family day out in July 2016 and when he returned home, he discovered that his 33-year-old Indonesian maid had disappeared.
The maid was believed to have taken advantage of the empty villa before she reportedly stole a golden pendant and a ring and fled.
When the Emirati returned to his villa, he checked the security camera footage and saw the maid jumping the back wall and absconding.
Citing lack of corroborated evidence, the Dubai Court of First Instance acquitted the 33-year-old Indonesian maid of robbing her sponsor’s Dh4,500 worth of valuables.
She pleaded not guilty when she defended herself in court, where she contended that she absconded from her sponsor because she was overworked and never paid. The Emirati sponsor alleged to prosecutors that the incident happened during Eid Al Fitr holiday.
“We left the maid at home around 11am and went to visit our family … when we returned home at night, she was gone. I checked the surveillance cameras and she was seen climbing the wall at the back of the villa and running away. When I checked the bedroom, I discovered that a ring and a pendant had been stolen from a jewellery box. Thereafter, I went to the police station and lodged a criminal complaint,” he testified.
Dubai Police’s forensic examination report confirmed that the fingerprints, which were lifted from the jewellery box matched with those of the suspect.
Prosecutors have already appealed the primary ruling.
