Suspended sentence for former boss who swore at worker on Facebook

DUBAI // A former Al Rostamani employee who used the term for a 'female dog' to refer to his colleague on Facebook has been given a three-month suspended sentence.

M H, a 42-year-old Emirati, was also placed on a three-year probation for threatening, defaming, and coercing the woman he claims got him fired from his job.

MH was dismissed from his management job at Al Rostamani Group after complaints were filed by his subordinates, including one from the complainant, 24-year-old Emirati woman MA.

"We filed a complaint to the management after his treatment of us at work went from bad to worse and, in turn, the company dismissed him," MA told prosecutors.

Records show MH filed a labour complaint against Al Rostamani Group of unfair dismissal and during the course of the trial, MA was called to testify against him.

On September 19, MH sent MA text messages and posted messages on her Facebook wall in an attempt to stop her from testifying.

Prosecutors say MH threatened MA by saying he would contact her father and tell him about her relationships, as well as spread the word around and ruin any future job prospects if she testified.

"He sent intimidating text messages to me, threatening me not to testify, however I dismissed them. But then he defamed and insulted me on his Facebook page," MA told the court.

"I have pictures of you, ready to go up on Facebook that I will show your parents from your thing in Abu Dhabi. I want your resignation by Sunday and you have brought this on to yourself," read one of the published post.

Other posts published by MH claimed MA had been involved in promiscuous relationships with several men including a Syrian boyfriend, the company's chief executive and another man in Abu Dhabi.

He also revealed personal information about MA, including her home address, information about her mother's nationality and the identity of her father, who is a well-known figure.

Prosecutors charged MH with threatening MA through the internet, insulting her, defaming her and publishing private facts on the social networking site.

MH confessed to prosecutors during the investigation, saying he had posted the statements on his Facebook page and sent the text messages. He later denied all charges in court.

MH was handed a suspended sentence by the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance yesterday, meaning he will not serve any time for the charges brought against him.

amustafa@thenational.ae