DUBAI// A 33-year-old taxi driver this morning denied accusations of sexually assaulting a female passenger. The defendant, BB, from Pakistan, told the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance that he did not mean to touch her; he merely tried to help her with her safety belt. According to records, the alleged victim FT, 26, from Zimbabwe, told prosecutors that she took a taxi from the Ras Al Khor area on January 7 after she finished shopping. She said it was about 6pm, and she was heading to her house in the same area, according to records. She said that when she tried to open the back door of the taxi, BB told her it was stuck, and asked her to sit next to him in the front seat, her testimony in court records showed. She added that he helped her put on the safety belt, but touched her breasts while doing so, then touched her shoulder and thigh, telling her that he liked her, records show. A verdict will be issued on April 12. salamir@thenational.ae
