Dubai: An Algerian visitor was arrested at Dubai Airport few minutes before he was to take a flight back home after assaulting his roommate and stealing his Dh1,500.
Policemen at the Dubai International Airport arrested the 18-year-old visitor shortly after his Egyptian roommate had reported to police that he was beaten and robbed while sleeping in his room in April.
The Egyptian was said to be in his bed when the Algerian visitor, according to records, hit his face with the handle of a screwdriver, took the cash kept under the pillow and absconded.
The Egyptian immediately informed the police about the incident and their vigilance and swift response prevented the Algerian from leaving the country.
Prosecutors accused the suspect of assaulting his roommate [with whom he had been staying tentatively] and stealing his money.
The 18-year-old suspect failed to appear before the Dubai Court of First Instance where he was supposed to enter his plea on Sunday. The victim told prosecutors that the suspect had been sharing the room with him and used to sleep on the upper bed.
“We were six bachelors sharing the same room … around 5am, the suspect woke me up and asked me to give him Dh20. As I was too sleepy to notice what had been happening, he hit me with something on my forehead. Once I opened my eyes, I saw him running quickly out of the room. The suspect threw the screwdriver on a bed and absconded. He took my Dh1,500 that I had kept under my pillow. I did not realise that had happened exactly because the blow on my forehead had unnerved me. Three weeks before the assault, the suspect and I had a heated argument over making noise while others were sleeping in the room,” the Egyptian victim told prosecutors.
Presiding judge Mohammad Jamal said the suspect will be sentenced in absentia on August 22.
