Creditors jailed for torturing defaulter

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

Creditors detained a defaulter and whipped him with a bicycle lock. They will serve six months in prison plus deportation, the Criminal Court ruled.

The Asian building caretaker, a compatriot waiter, watchman, porter, office boy and labourer (aged 22-37) lent Dhs29, 000 to the Indian man, 35, to meet his financial needs. He defaulted and disappeared.

The waiter spotted him near a restaurant in Al Muraqqabat area at around 9pm on Nov.6, approached and grabbed him by the shirt then contacted the caretaker and porter who came and clutched his arms.

They asked him to calm and move with them to an apartment inside a building in Port Saeed area to find an amicable solution. The other defendants were waiting in the apartment. They demanded him to pay.

The victim tried to explain to them that he already handed the cash to a bank employee to deliver it to them but that employee swindled it and disappeared from sight. They were not satisfied with the explanation.  The caretaker and porter slapped him while the labourer kicked his back. They told him to contact his family to wire the money. The family told him it would take time to arrange the sum. The gang beat him again.

Two hours later, they took him inside an unfurnished flat on the same building. The watchman repeatedly whipped his back with the lock then he and labourer forced his arms to the back and tied him with ropes.

They forced him to sit on the ground and guarded him while waiting for the money. It was not until police stormed the apartment at around 8:30pm the next day, rescued him and apprehended the gang members.

An Emirati policeman said the victim’s brother contacted the CID that a gang wanted a Dhs30, 000 ransom to release the victim. “We found him in a deplorable condition with facial contusions, a reddened back and rope marks on his wrists and legs.”

In another case, Amir Al Sunni reported that The Fujairah Misdemeanors Court looked into the case of a young GCC man caught drunk with his friend.

The suspect and his friend reportedly spent a night drinking alcohol and on their return, a police patrol stopped their car after suspecting it. The patrol team found the two were drunk, so they were arrested.

While being driven to the police station, the suspect broke the side glass of the police car. He was referred to the Public Prosecution and was charged with assault and drinking alcohol.