DUBAI // The defence lawyer of an Irish man and a British woman accused of having drunken sex in the back of a Dubai taxi told a court today that the driver made the story up after a disagreement with the two expatriates.
"[The driver's] testimony before police officers contradicts his testimony before prosecutors," Shakir Al Shammari told the Misdemeanours Court, who also claimed that a police officer who testified had changed his story.
"The case is malicious because the driver and the couple did not reach an understanding regarding their destination," he added.
The British woman RB, a 29-year-old recruitment executive, and Irish man CM, 27, face charges of consensual sex and consuming alcohol. While both admit drinking heavily before getting in the taxi on May 4, both deny the sex charge.
Mr Al Shammari asked for the sex charge to be dismissed. "My clients' testimonies were the same during police and prosecution investigations," he said.
During a previous hearing the taxi driver QP, a 29-year-old Pakistani, told the court that he picked the pair up outside a hotel at about 11pm and drove them to Al Barsha, but that they then became vague about where they wanted to go.
He said that during the trip he noticed the man drinking from a bottle of alcohol and that soon afterwards he noticed the woman sitting on the man's lap. He said she was topless and sitting on the man's lap in what appeared to be a sexual position and that she was moaning for a period of two minutes. He said that while the pair were otherwise engaged he parked the taxi and motioned to a police officer to come over.
The police officer, 22, backed up his story, saying that when he came over to investigate he saw the woman without any underwear on gyrating on top of the man, whose trousers were around his knees.
A verdict is expected on November 22.
salamir@thenational.ae
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
MATCH INFO
Scotland 59 (Tries: Hastings (2), G Horne (3), Turner, Seymour, Barclay, Kinghorn, McInally; Cons: Hastings 8)
Russia 0
Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
