DUBAI // A man tied up a trader, robbed him and beat him into giving up his ATM PIN code, a court heard this morning.
MW, 31, Afghani, was charged with detaining SJ, also from Afghanistan, binding his legs and arms with tape, assaulting him, threatening to kill him, and stealing his money.
He denied the charges before Judge Hamad Abdul Latif at the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance. Prosecutors said he was helped by another man who remains at large.
“I didn’t do it, your honour,” MW told the court.
SJ, 28, testified that he had been running a car import company in Dubai for three years and often came to Dubai to supervise the work.
In April, he said, he met MW and his accomplice, who offered him a place to stay.
“I lived with them for 10 days before I left to Afghanistan,” SJ said.
SJ returned in May, and MW took him to the same apartment. Records show when SJ woke up the next morning, the two men were attacking him.
“They tied me up using a piece of cloth and plastic tape, then beat me up,” SJ said.
The man who remains at large stole Dh2,500 from his bag, several cheques and two credit cards, as well we his ATM card, he said.
“He beat me up to give him the secret code and I refused, but when they held a knife to my throat I did,” SJ said.
Prosecutors said SJ spent 24 hours restrained. The next morning his legs were untied to allow him go to the toilet.
“I ran to the open window and screamed for help; a man heard me and called the police,” SJ said.
MW ran away before the police arrived, and his accomplice had already left the apartment.
Police said Dh30,000 was withdrawn from SJ’s account.
MW was arrested trying to leave the country through the Hatta border crossing, records show.
The next hearing will be on October 13.
