Dubai: Woman accused of recruiting domestic workers without licence; acquitted

She was reported to prosecutors on October 18 last year following an inspection

Published: Wed 1 Feb 2023, 7:54 AM

Updated: Wed 1 Feb 2023, 3:22 PM

By
Afkar Ali Ahmed

File photo

A recruitment agency owner who was accused of recruiting domestic workers without a licence, was acquitted by a Dubai court based on discrepancies in charges.

Judges at the Dubai Court of Residency and Naturalisation were told that the woman, 35, from Egypt, helped recruit domestic workers without obtaining proper permits.

She was reported to prosecutors on October 18 last year following an inspection.

The woman was accused of failing to rectify the status of those sponsored by her agency. Charges raised in court said she was recruiting workers without obtaining a licence to do so.

Defence lawyer Awatif Mohammed from Al Rowwad Advocates denied that the law was breached and requested that her client be cleared of charges.

“The two violations are different,” said the lawyer in court.

During questioning, the woman denied the charge and said she that was a mediator and not a direct recruiter.

“As per the trade licence of the agency, we were offering mediation services to find work opportunities for people who arrived to the country on visit visa,” the woman told investigators.

Her lawyer told judges that the client did not bring people from outside the country to help them find jobs here.

“She was only mediating to help find job opportunities for a number of workers from Philippines and Myanmar who were already in the UAE on visit visas,” said the lawyer in court.

“After an opportunity is secured, the visa status of those workers is changed from visitor to resident.”

In its ruling in December last year, the court said it did not feel satisfied with the evidence provided against the defendant. It added that charges were raised after an order was issued to close the agency for failing to settle the status of those sponsored under its name.

“But the charges by prosecutors were different, accusing the woman of practising activities outside of the agency’s work permit,” the ruling said.

“This proves a contradiction in the ministry’s accusation in regard to the charge which we find suspicious and therefore find the defendant not guilty.”

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