Dubai A Yemeni man appeared in court on Wednesday to face charges of human trafficking. The man is alleged to have smuggled his seven-year-old son, who has hearing and speech impairment, into the country and forced him to beg.
The suspect, 38, told the judge he brought his son into the country “to raise funds for his treatment.” “I am not doing well financially,” he said. “I brought him to raise money so I can help him recover. It was not for my personal benefit.”
Court documents show the suspect was arrested in February 2013. “We caught the suspect and his son in Abu Hail,” a police witness told prosecutors. “He was pestering people for money. Once we took him to the police station we found he and his son had entered the UAE illegally.”
The Yemeni admitted to begging, but denied trafficking charges.
The case has been adjourned till September.
