Conflicting Accounts Of A Night In Business Bay

The Dubai Court of Appeal has upheld the acquittal of a businessman accused of unlawfully detaining a woman inside his Business Bay apartment for six hours and threatening her. Rejecting an appeal filed by the Public Prosecution, the appellate judges ruled that the evidence on record failed to establish the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecutors had charged the man under the UAE Crimes and Penalties Law with depriving the woman of her freedom using force and threats for an illicit purpose. According to prosecution files, the woman claimed she met the businessman near a nightclub and accompanied him to his apartment for drinks. She alleged that he pressured her to consume alcohol, threatened her with a shoe, pushed her onto a bedroom sofa, and refused to let her leave until she secretly shared her live phone location with a friend when a delivery driver arrived.

Security Guard Testimony And Unsworn Police Statements

The businessman flatly denied the allegations throughout the trial, maintaining that the woman visited his residence voluntarily and was never restrained or assaulted. Crucially, a building security guard testified in court that the woman entered the tower willingly and registered her visitor details at the reception desk. When the guard accompanied police officers upstairs to the apartment, the businessman opened the door normally. The guard testified that the woman was standing calmly in the living room holding her mobile phone and only began crying after officers spoke to her. Furthermore, the Court of First Instance disregarded initial police report statements attributed to the businessman because officers had questioned him without a sworn legal interpreter present.

Phone Records And Door Locks Undermine Prosecution Case

Defense counsel Ali Khalaf Al Housani presented digital evidence and witness testimony that further dismantled the prosecution's timeline. Telephone logs proved that the businessman spoke on the phone with his wife for more than an hour during the exact window the complainant claimed he was detaining and threatening her. Additionally, the defense submitted photographs proving the apartment's front door could be unlocked and opened from the inside without a key at any time. Noting that the complainant kept her smartphone throughout the visit and later failed to appear in court for cross-examination under oath, the appeals court confirmed the businessman's full acquittal. Stay informed on important legal rulings and courtroom developments across the Emirates. Read our local news reports at The WAU.

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