DUBAI // An Emirati man was found guilty by the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance today of concealing a miniature camera inside a women's toilet at the Ministry of Environment and Water building in Dubai earlier this year.
The court was not convinced the defendant, A K, was mentally ill and heard voices in his head, as the defence contend.
Despite the defence's request that the court remand A K to a mental care facility for treatment, the defendant was sentenced to three years in jail.
Saeed al Ghailani, the defence lawyer, said in his closing argument August 23 that his client had been undergoing psychiatric treatment for the past five years at Al Amal Psychiatric Hospital and at the Iranian Hospital in Dubai, and that he suffered from paranoia, depression and multiple-personality disorder.
"He finds himself compelled to obey and carry out orders he receives in his head from unknown persons or sources," Mr al Ghailani said.
Police were called in and removed the camera after it was discovered in the women's toilet on the fifth floor of the ministry building last November. Mr Ghailani told the court in August that his client disregarded the dangers of being discovered and installed a second camera in the same location in February.
"His action shows a lack of awareness of the consequences of such actions as he is compelled to obey the voices. Despite the discovery of the first camera and despite everyone in the building knowing about it, he went ahead and installed a second camera less than three months later," he said.
Mr al Ghailani denied police claims that his client was arrested in a sting operation. He said A K had confessed to the human resources manager at the ministry.
"My client was stammering and agitated and he told the manager 'they found the camera' and told him that he had stuffed paper towels in the bathroom false ceiling, claiming he was ordered to do so by the voice of an employee at the ministry who, at the time, was on her annual leave."
He said A K's colleagues described him as a respectable and decent person who never looked up when a female colleague passed him in the corridor. According to the defence, the different behaviour described in the charge sheet suggests A K might also suffer from multiple-personality disorder.
"Residing within the defendant are several personalities, up to five, one of whom is decent and respectable, one is a sociopath and the third is intensely religious," Mr al Ghailani said.
hbathish@thenational.ae
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Director: Rolan Emmerich
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry
Rating: 3/5
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'Nope'
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Paatal Lok season two
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Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
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Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
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