Dubai: Two Bangladeshi workers denied in court on Tuesday the charge of kidnapping their compatriot carpenter and demanded Dh5,200 in ransom to release him.
Prosecutors accused the suspects, 27-year-old J.S. and 35-year-old A.M., of kidnap with deception the 27-year-old carpenter, M.J., after they convinced him to take a taxi and head to Sharjah to aide his troubled relative.
Then they locked him up in a room for three days until the police freed him in a sting operation.
"No I am not guilty," argued J.S. when he defended himself before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday.
His alleged accomplice, A.M. defended before Presiding Judge Al Saeed Mohammad Barghout: "I didn't kidnap anyone. I am innocent."
"They beat me hard and demanded me to call my brother in Bangladesh and ask to send me Dh5,200 as ransom against my release. They asked me to go to Al Saja'a area… then they kidnapped me and kept me in a room in Sonapur area. There were four suspects who beat me and threatened me then they forced me to phone my brother and request a ransom. Police swooped into action and released me on the fourth day of my abduction," the carpenter claimed to prosecutors.
A 31-year-old Bangladeshi worker claimed that he received an SMS message from M.J.'s brother informing him about the kidnap.
An Iranian police corporal testified that police raided the place, freed M.J. and arrested J.S. and A.M.
The court will appoint lawyers to defend the suspects when it reconvenes soon.