Photo has been used for illustrative purposes.

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

A blacksmith who helped a colleague murder a compatriot visitor suspected of publicising his kinswomen’s photos will spend 25 years in jail, the Appeals Court ruled.

The Asian colleague, 33, suspected the visitor, 30, had publicised photos of his female relatives. He vengefully raped, strangled and buried him in a sandy area, Jebel Ali Police Station records showed.

Investigations revealed the blacksmith, 21, took part in the murder and theft of the victim’s mobile phone and wallet. He contended in court that his colleague committed the murder alone.

The Criminal Court sentenced his colleague to death over rape and murder and two years over theft. It jailed the blacksmith for ten years over the murder and one year plus deportation over theft.

Prosecutors appealed demanding a tougher penalty for the blacksmith. The Dubai Appeals Court has added fifteen years to the ten-year jail term. It upheld the rest of the lower court’s ruling.

On Mar.16, a Jordanian company manager spotted a heap of sand and stones. He saw a right foot and called police. An Emirati lieutenant and his colleague discovered there was a dead body.

The killers had tied the victim up with a rope, strangled him and buried him in the sandy area in Jebel Ali at a spot frequented by bootleggers and contracting company workers to mislead investigators.

An Emirati warrant officer said an examination of his DNA helped identify him. Police learnt he was last seen with the colleague. Investigations revealed the blacksmith accompanied them.

The blacksmith upon arrest acknowledged helping his colleague in the murder. They buried the victim at that area to make investigators believe he died during a fight between bootlegging gangs.

“We called him for a meeting. We transported him towards Abu Dhabi. To make him relax and not suspect anything wrong would happen, my colleague bought him some drinks at a refuelling station. 

“My colleague pulled over at the sandy area. We got out. He was so disappointed and relentlessly asked the victim to tell him the reason he publicised his female family members’ photos.

“The victim tried to dodged the topic and kept telling my colleague that the photos were publicised by another person. My colleague told me to sexually assault the victim. I refused to do so.

“My colleague conducted the sexual assault on him. Thereafter, he told me to fetch a rope from the vehicle. He fastened the victim’s arms to his legs. I helped him. He wound the rope around the neck.

“We pulled from either side. My colleague kept beating him. He tried to catch his breath. My colleague crammed sand in his mouth. We buried him. My colleague took his mobile and wallet.”