Dubai: A farmer has been cleared of repeatedly kissing and molesting his co-worker at their sponsor’s farm over a period of 18 months.

The 22-year-old Pakistani co-worker was reported to have been sitting on a sofa inside a tent adjacent to his sponsor’s farm in Al Aweer in October.

As the co-worker was busy on his mobile, the 37-year-old Pakistani farmer was alleged to have sat beside him on the sofa and asked him to pay him back Dh250 once he finished the call.

The 22-year-old claimed that when he told the farmer that he didn’t have the money, the latter allegedly asked his countryman to allow him to have sex with him instead.

On Thursday, the Dubai Court of First Instance acquitted the 37-year-old farmer of grabbing his co-worker by his neck, kissing and molesting him due to lack of corroborated evidence.

The farmer strongly refuted the allegations of the 22-year-old that he kissed his countryman and sexually abused him.

The 22-year-old claimed to prosecutors that the farmer repeatedly molested him between April 2017 and October 2018 at their sponsor’s farm.

“The last time it happened was in the tent. When I finished my call, he asked me to pay him back his Dh250 that I had borrowed from him. I told him I didn’t have enough money. Then he asked to have sex with me but I refused. He pinned me down to the sofa and molested me. I slapped him and pushed him away; then I called the police,” he claimed to prosecutors.

Presiding judge Habib Awad acquitted the suspect of any wrongdoing.

Thursday’s ruling remains subject to appeal.