Dubai: A company owner has been cleared of attempting to remove an accountant’s hijab and trying to kiss her.
In July, the Dubai Court of First Instance acquitted the Indian owner, R.C., due to lack of corroborated evidence.
The victim had alleged that R.C. walked into her office when they were alone in the company where he groped her, tried to remove her head cover and kiss her cheeks in October.
Prosecutors appealed the suspect’s acquittal before the Dubai Appeal Court.
Presiding judge Eisa Al Sharif dismissed prosecutors’ appeal and upheld the acquittal of R.C.
The company owner accused his countrywoman of fabricating the molestation claims due to a labour dispute between them.
“I did not touch her. She lied in her complaint. I had asked her to cancel her visa and leave due to her incompetence,” R.C. told the appellate court.
Prosecutors said the suspect touched the woman’s cheek and kissed her, then he groped her and tried to remove her hijab before she resisted him.
However, the suspect refuted prosecutors’ accusation and maintained in court: “The claimant was scheduled to come to work at 8.30am daily. She was always late and often came at 9.30am. She took an advance payment and when I decided to deduct the payments from her salary, we had a labour dispute. She lodged her malicious complaint once I asked her to cancel her visa and leave work.”
The Indian woman alleged to prosecutors that the incident happened inside her office at 3pm in October.
The appellate ruling remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court within 24 days.
