Swindler and a boatman share the same fate in jail

Dubai: A swindler and a boatman who is accused of causing the death of his drunken passenger share the same fate in jail.

Both of them cannot get out of prison despite serving their sentences because they owe money.

Rami Adnan Allaf, a 33-year-old Syrian, was jailed when he was 29.

He finished serving his sentence in 2003, but a prison official is afraid that he will spend the rest of his life in jail as he is unable to repay Dh35,000 he owes to the person he cheated.

The prison officials have negotiated with the person and brought down the amount owed.

But even the reduced amount is high for Allaf who does not have any money.

He has already spent three extra years in prison and feels that he will never be able to go home. Another person stuck in jail despite serving his sentence is Zaher Hussain Zainulabideen, a 28-year-old Indian.

The boatman had picked up a drunken passenger at night from a party. The man fell out of the boat and drowned.

Zainulabideen was accused of mistakenly causing the death of the person and was sentenced to four months in jail and has to pay Dh200,000 blood money.

Latifa Bin Khadem, a psychiatrist at the Dubai Central Jail, has been successful in collecting Dh80,000 from philanthropists. But the amount still falls short of Dh120,000.

The unfortunate boatman has already spent six extra months in jail.

The two men are breadwinners of their families back home.