Dubai: A businessman has been cleared of kidnapping a saleswoman, who worked for his company, and coercing her into remaining as his lover by forcing her to sign a Dh150,000 debt receipt.
The Uzbek woman was hired as a saleswoman in June 2017 at a marine tools company that the Palestinian businessman runs in Dubai.
A month after joining work, the 30-year-old woman and the Palestinian boss fell in love and started exchanging messages.
Once she discovered that he is married, the Uzbek called the relationship off, resigned and then she reportedly told the police that the businessman and two of his employees, a Sudanese supervisor and an Egyptian clerk, kidnapped her, beat and coerced her to sign a debt receipt.
Citing lack of corroborated evidence, the Dubai Court of First Instance acquitted the Palestinian, Sudanese and Egyptian of confining, assaulting and threatening the woman and obtaining from her a debt receipt under duress.
Presiding judge Fahd Al Shamsi also dismissed the Uzbek woman’s civil lawsuit and ordered her to pay court fees.
Records said the woman moved out from the Business Bay flat that was provided to her as an accommodation by the Palestinian, who rejected her resignation and tried to convince her to stay.
On the day when the Uzbek woman lodged a complaint at Tasheel to have her work visa cancelled, the supervisor asked to meet her to give her the cancellation papers.
The supervisor met the saleswoman in Al Ghusais, from where he picked her up and claimed that he was taking her to a typing centre to process her papers.
She alleged that the supervisor, the clerk and two others kidnapped her and she lost her consciousness after she was physically assaulted in the back seat.
She regained consciousness after a while and found herself roped and confined in the boss’s warehouse. The saleswoman alleged that she was beaten up and forced to sign a paper, which claimed her to be in debt and owed the boss Dh150,000. She was allegedly threatened with death if she didn’t retract her resignation and resume her affair with the businessman.
Pretending to have been frightened by the death threats, the Uzbek agreed to move back into the flat with the Palestinian.
Defending the supervisor and the clerk, lawyer Faisal Al Zarouni argued in court that the Uzbek woman lied and gave an inconsistent statement.
“She fabricated her claims about the kidnap and assault … she failed to substantiate her allegations. Her statement was full of contradictions and lies. Her main aim was to retaliate against the Palestinian businessman. Her allegations controverted the material evidence. The claimant also refused to sign on the medical report that was provided to her after she was examined … that obviously meant she hid something,” contended lawyer Al Zarouni.
According to the primary ruling, presiding judge Al Shamsi referred the civil lawsuit, lodged by the Sudanese and Egyptian against the Uzbek woman, to the Dubai Civil Court.
Records said shortly after she sweet-talked the Palestinian into giving her back the flat keys and left, she called the police.
Police apprehended the three suspects.
Prosecutors accused the trio of kidnapping the Uzbek, assaulting and coercing her.
The Palestinian was charged with threatening to kill the woman for refusing to remain as his lover, and obtaining under duress from her a signed paper saying she owed him money.
The three suspects pleaded not guilty.
The ruling remains subject to appeal.
