Dubai: A wealthy businesswoman, who is seeking a divorce, and her lover are challenging a one-year imprisonment for having unmarried sex.

The Emirati businesswoman’s husband, who had been monitoring his countrywoman wife [the defendant] and tailing her around the city, had called the police and accused his wife of committing adultery with the other Emirati defendant in December 2014.

In October, the Dubai Misdemeanours handed out a one-year jail term against the defendants, who had pleaded not guilty and denied having unmarried sex.

The businesswoman’s lawyer argued in court that the husband, from whom the defendant is seeking a divorce, attempted to extort Dh10 million from her wealthy family to waive the adultery complaint against her.

The couple has appealed the primary ruling before the Dubai Appeal Court and is seeking to overturn their imprisonment and prove their innocence.

The defendants argued that nothing more than a business relationship connects them.

The divorce case between the defendant and her husband is being heard by the Dubai Sharia Court. The woman lives separately.

Prior to lodging his complaint to the police, the husband claimed that he monitored his wife’s movements. Police raided the woman’s residence in Mirdif after having obtained prosecutors’ permission. She was caught with the Emirati defendant.

The two strongly denied the accusation of having had consensual sex.

The businesswoman runs her own business and met the man at an exhibition where they agreed to become business partners, according to court records.

The woman accused her husband of fabricating his claims against her and contended that he did so out of malice.

During prosecution questioning, she alleged that he [husband] had asked for Dh10 million to drop the complaint.

Meanwhile the husband told interrogators, according to records, that they were married three years ago and had a child and that following marital problems she left the house with the baby.

“Noticeable changes in her personality and appearance, made me discover that she was cheating on me. In summer 2014, I started watching her and saw her with a stranger [the male suspect] … they met in malls and restaurants. I saw them once driving into a villa where they stayed for a period of time. I informed the police, who raided the villa. The couple was found together. I suspect they were having an affair,” the husband said.

According to records, police found the couple fully dressed when they raided the villa.

The wife claimed to interrogators that her husband’s ill-treatment forced her to leave.

“He constantly asked to meet my mother to discuss my inheritance. His claims that I cheated on him are baseless and unfounded. His main intention is to blackmail me and my family. He pressured me to waive the custody of my child and waive my alimony,” she said.

The female defendant’s lawyer argued that the claimant [husband] did not have any details about what had been taking place in the villa.

“My client is a well-known businesswoman, and she was having a business meeting with the male suspect, who is her client. He [the husband] complained out of malice,” he defended.

Her lawyer also contended that law enforcement procedures were carried out unlawfully and improperly.

The husband’s civil lawsuit has been referred to the Dubai Civil Court.

A hearing before the Dubai Appeal Court is scheduled next week.