Corpun file 9668 at www.corpun.com

Gulf News, Dubai, 8 June 2002

Jail terms, lashes for immoral duo

By A Staff Reporter

Ras Al Khaimah -- The Sharia Court yesterday sentenced a man and a woman to two months in prison and to be lashed 60 times each on charges of immorality -- but the sentence might be dropped because they have agreed to marry each other.

A senior court official said the Public Prosecution earlier levelled charges of immorality and having illicit relationship against four suspects. Two of them were acquitted.

An Indonesian woman, identified as S.W. was arrested on April 15 in a compromising situation. She was then with an Indian national, identified as A.M. They were caught in the house of A.M.'s sponsor.

He said S.W. confessed of having an illicit relationship with the Indian. She also admitted involvement with a Pakistani national, identified as L.A. On the orders of the Public Prosecution, police arrested him.

She confessed to having had an illicit relationship with the Pakistani, who has been sneaking into the house at night. She said L.A. cut off his relationship with her for a Filipina housemaid, also living in the house of her sponsor.

S.W. told the court that L.A. was involved with the Filipina housemaid for a long time.

During investigations L.A. denied any kind of relationship with S.W. He also claimed that he did not know the Filipina housemaid.

The Filipina housemaid was also arrested and questioned. She did not recognise L.A. and did not admit to any kind of relationship with him.

Not finding any proof or evidence against the two, except for the claims of S.W., the court acquitted them.

In order to spare himself the penalty, A.M submitted a petition in the Sharia Court proposing to marry S.W.

He told the court he was ready to be deported from the country if he was spared the prison sentence and the lashes.

The court accepted the petition of A.M. and told him in the event of marriage to S.W., all the charges against him will be dropped.

When the court asked S.W., she accepted the marriage proposal but refused to be deported. She said she wanted to stay in the UAE and continue her work.

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