Businessman gets 3-yr jail for turning flat into a brothel

A 62-year-old businessman has been sentenced to three years in prison after the court found him guilty of running his flat as a brothel.

The Court of First Instance convicted the Chinese man of running a prostitution business in his flat in Al Qusais and ordered his deportation after serving his prison sentence and paying a Dh50,000 fine.

The case dates back to and prior to April 29, 2015.

A 16-year-old Bangladeshi girl said she was lured to travel to the UAE to work in a beauty shop. "I was picked up at the Sharjah airport by a Bangladeshi who seized my passport and visa, which I had already paid for. He took me to a flat where some women told me my job would be in massage and prostitution.

"I strongly refused but each time that man would argue with me and beat me up. He threatened to have me jailed for 10 years and said he would set me free only after I pay him 100,000 Takas."

The girl said she was taken to a flat where a Chinese woman supervised the prostitution business. She could run and take a cab to the nearest police station. She was placed in the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children.

She was later referred to the Criminal Investigation Department where she learned that the Bangladeshi accused was arrested.

Another 15-year-old Bangladeshi girl gave a similar story of how she was deceived to travel with a good job offer.

''On June 9, 2015, we were informed that one of the victims went to complain at Al Muraqqabat police station that she had been forced to work as a prostitute," a police lieutenant at the Human Trafficking Section of the Dubai Police said. "We raided the flat and arrested several women and the Asian man".

The businessman on trial admitted he had rented the flat and given it to his wife and an Asian man to run it as a prostitution den.

The tenancy contract signed by him was enclosed to the case file. He can appeal the verdict within 15 days.

Source: Khaleej Times