Dubai: A couple landed in court facing charges of having consensual sex that resulted in an illegitimate pregnancy after they met on Facebook and their relation blossomed into a love affair.
The Dubai Misdemeanour Court yesterday acquitted the lovers, a 29-year-old Egyptian manager and a 33-year-old Filipina saleswoman, of having consensual sex after they convinced the court that they are married.
The manager, M.A., and the saleswoman, M.L., obtained from the Philippines Consulate a translated copy of their marriage contract and produced it before Presiding Judge Mohammad Ahmad Shoaib.
M.A. claimed during questioning that they met on Facebook before the relationship blossomed into a love affair. M.L. was said to have moved in to M.A.’s flat in Bur Dubai and they shared the accommodation.
They lived together around two years before M.L. got pregnant. According to records she went and delivered her baby in her homeland. When she returned with her baby to Dubai, she went with M.A. to the Consulate and issued a birth certificate and Filipino passport and gave her son an Arabic name.
Prosecution records said the couple landed in court because they had a financial dispute. The man went to the police station and complained against M.L. for harassing and cursing him over the phone. Meanwhile, the Egyptian faced a bounced cheque case. Further police investigation exposed that M.L. had taken a loan and gave M.A. money. When he failed to repay the money, they scuffled. So when the Filipina cursed him over the phone, he went and complained.
When asked by police interrogators about the nature of their relationship, the couple admitted that they were having a love affair that resulted in a baby boy.
The couple pleaded not guilty and claimed in court that they were married when they had sex.
Meanwhile, their advocate argued before the judge that his client did not commit a crime.
The lawyer provided the court with a marriage contract issued and attested by the civil authorities in the Philippines. M.A. also provided the judge with a copy of his passport confirming that he travelled to the Philippines at a date matching to the date of their marriage.
The suspects defended that prosecutors disregarded their claims and referred them to court after charging them with having consensual sex. However, Presiding Judge Shoaib acquitted the couple.
