Suspects deny charges of trafficking and assault

Dubai: Seven suspects have pleaded not guilty against a long list of different charges including sexually exploiting a housemaid, vandalising police cars and assaulting policemen who tried to rescue the housemaid from a brothel.

Prosecutors accused four of the suspects — two Emiratis, an Indian and a Bangladeshi — of forming a group of human traffickers and exploiting the Nepalese housemaid sexually by compelling her to have sex with 25 men per day in a place which they were charged of running as a brothel.

"I am innocent… I don't know anything about the whole incident. I have never seen the other suspects in my life," argued 29-year-old Emirati, A.O., when he defended himself against all charges at the Dubai Court of First Instance yesterday.

His 25-year-old compatriot, M.M., denied a charge of violating the human trafficking law by sexually exploiting the housemaid. "I deny any involvement in this matter… I dare the prosecution witnesses to come and testify that I did it. I am innocent," M.M. defended before Presiding Judge Al Saeed Mohammad Barghout.

Charge

The Public Prosecution charged A.O., M.M. and the Indian, H.H., and the Bangladeshi, F.S., along with a runaway suspect, named Aziz, with sexually exploiting the housemaid, L.J., and forcing her into the sex trade under duress and threats. The Emiratis were charged with collecting money from H.H. and F.S. to protect them.

A.O. and M.M. were additionally charged with stealing the wallet and mobile phone of one of the policemen, who tried to rescue the housemaid, after assaulting him. The 29 year old was solely charged with threatening to behead the policeman.

According to the arraignment sheet, A.O., M.M., their 26-year-old compatriot M.K., and 45-year-old M.A., who doesn't carry personal documents, were accused of assaulting the policeman and a corporal when they tried to free the maid from the alleged brothel in Al Hamriya.

M.K., A.O. and M.M. were charged with vandalising two police cars using sharp tools and hard objects.

The rest of the suspects, excluding M.K., were charged with running two flats as brothel.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The housemaid testified that H.H. picked her from the airport and took her to the flat where she was forced into prostitution.

"At first, I rejected and said I was hired to work as a housemaid.

"They beat and threatened me and forced me to have sex with 25 persons a day… until I used a client's mobile phone and told a friend of mine about my ordeal," alleged L.J.