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8 workers accused of leading vandalism in accommodation

Dubai - They allegedly instigated other labourers to vandalising property that resulted in damage worth more than Dh287,000.

A group of eight workers (seven Indians and one Nepalese) stood trial on Tuesday on the charge of instigating other labourers to vandalising property that resulted in damage worth more than Dh287,000 in the campus of their accommodation.
According to prosecution records, the accused, who worked for a contracting company, instigated and took part in the illegal assembling to cause disturbance to public security. Their demand was to force the real estate company in whose accommodation they stayed, give them their room keys.
The accused also allegedly caused damage to several vehicles belonging to their company and staff. They also caused significant damage to office furniture belonging to their accommodation's real estate company. They faced in the Court of First Instance charges of intentionally causing damage to others' property, endangering others' security and life, and taking part in illegal assembling.
The case dates back to the evening of January 3 in Jebel Ali.
The campus security guard, a 25-year-old Egyptian, said that around 7pm, two Indian workers approached him complaining that they lost cash, a golden necklace and coats. "I went with the accommodation supervisor to check what was going on. The two workers' closets were broken. I told them to call the police".
However, shortly later, the guard saw the two workers standing in the frontline among about 70 workers which later increased to nearly 500.
"I saw them marching in anger. They stormed into the offices and smashed and destroyed furniture and vehicles in the campus with their bare hands, rocks, sticks and iron bars".
The guard heard one of them saying that the Indian workers were being robbed unlike the Bangladeshis.
He confirmed that the eight workers on trial were leading and instigating the others to cause disturbance and damage.
"As soon as the police reinforcements arrived, the rioters dispersed. The dispute was resolved after the executive manager agreed to give the workers their room keys."
Another Egyptian security guard, 30, said that the workers on trial are known to causing trouble in earlier occasions after consuming alcohol.
A police sergeant said that they were informed about the trouble in the accommodation in an industrial area in Jebel Ali.
"By the time we reached the scene, the troublemakers had already disappeared. We found that lots of damage had been inflicted on the office furniture and vehicles outside the building.
"We learnt that they were demanding to be given their room keys after some belongings had been stolen."
The officer added that they learnt that about eight workers were mainly involved in the instigation to vandalising the property.
A report by the real estate company (the plaintiff) put the overall damage at Dh287,691.
mary@khaleejtimes.com