Photo has been used for illustrative purposes.

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

A labourer who masterminded a robbery at his workplace to avenge a salary reduction was imprisoned with his accomplice on Sunday.

The Arab defendant, 29, sought the help of a compatriot colleague, 22, in robbing scaffoldings worth Dhs37, 104 from a construction site in Bur Dubai belonging to a contracting company at around 7pm on Aug.11.

As per a scheme, the duo distracted the site’s guard by sending him to buy items from a grocery. He returned before they could finish and tried to stop them. The colleague injuriously punched his head, records read.

The Dubai Criminal Court sentenced them to six months in prison after which they will be deported over the robbery. They will stand trial at the Misdemeanours Court over assault.

The Ethiopian guard, 30, said, “It was Eid holiday. There was no work at the site. The colleague asked me to escort him to the grocery. On the way, he kept making calls asking someone whether they found a vehicle.

“I returned to the site and spotted a Pickup vehicle driving out. It was loaded with building items belonging to our employer. It was driven by a stranger. I waved telling him to pull over. He refused and drove away.”

Meanwhile, he spotted the defendant running out of the site. “I chased and seized him. The colleague punched me twice on the head while telling me to let go of him. I seized him until police arrived.”

An Egyptian supervisor said, “The guard told me both beat him.

The defendant told me he agreed with the colleague to take the guard far from the site by claiming that the colleague wanted to purchase items.

“The defendant remained at the site with a man who worked at a scrap company. They snatched the scaffoldings. The defendant said he robbed to avenge the management’s decision to reduce his salary.”

During police interrogations, the colleague confessed to his role in leading the guard away from the site to facilitate the robbery.