Father denies killing daughter's rapist

Dubai: A company owner has rejected what he describes as a malicious charge of premeditatedly killing his distant cousin, who made his 17-year-old daughter pregnant after reportedly raping her.

"I totally deny this fabricated charge… I am not guilty," said the 47-year-old Palestinian before Presiding Judge Al Saeed Mohammad Barghout on Sunday.

Prosecutors charged the suspect, T.B., with plotting the premeditated murder of his distant cousin, A.B., following constant family and business disputes.

According to the arraignment sheet, the defendant lured the deceased to his company's warehouse in Al Quoz where he battered the back of his head with an iron pipe then strangled him with a rope.

Advocate Mohammad Abdullah Al Reda, who is defending T.B., on Sunday asked the Dubai Court of First Instance to cross-examine the nine prosecution witnesses when the court reconvenes on November 22.

In her statement before the prosecutor who questioned her, the daughter, claimed: A.B. got some photos of me during his visits to our home. Later he altered some photos and when my dad knew he got outraged… a family dispute erupted after that. One day he phoned me and claimed he wanted to see me and give me his phone so I could erase the indecent photos… he tricked me and drove his car to a sandy area which was poorly lit and raped me."