Two men deny forcing woman into prostitution

GulfNews.com, January 27, 2009

By Bassam Za'za' Senior Reporter

Dubai: A man has accused a housemaid of willingly phoning customers and asking them to have sex with her and denied forcing her into prostitution.

"I didn't force her into the sex industry. It's not true that I exploited her," the 36-year-old Bangladeshi told the Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday.

"I am innocent. She is the one who used to call the men and invite them over to the flat to have sex with her for money."

The Public Prosecution charged the suspect, M.M., with exploiting the Indonesian maid and forcing her into prostitution. He was also charged with running a brothel and exploiting the alleged victim, S.R., and other women.

He was accused of violating Federal Law No 51 of 2006 pertaining to trafficking by trying to sell S.R. to a police informant.

The Public Prosecution also charged a 24-year-old Indian plumber, S.T., with aiding and abetting M.M.

"I am not guilty. I didn't commit any crime& I have nothing to do with the sex industry," S.T. told Presiding Judge Saeed Salem Bin Sarm.

"My sponsor used to mistreat me," the 26-year-old maid said in her statement.

"One of my compatriots told me to abscond. And I followed her advice. She suggested that I sleep with men for money. Later, I came to know that she had sold me to a Bangladeshi man named O, who, for 10 days, forced me to sleep with men," she said.

"Then O sold me to another Bangladeshi named R, who took me to Al Baraha and locked me up in a flat with other women. One day R forced me to sleep with three men."

Initial interrogations revealed that R sold the alleged victim to M.M., who was arrested during a sting operation when he tried to sell her to a police informant.

Police raided the flat in Baraha and saved the women.