Businesswoman who violated residency law to face fresh trial

Abu Dhabi - The Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi has cancelled an earlier ruling by the appeal court.

A female owner of a tailoring firm, who was fined Dh50,000 for allowing her sponsored worker to work for others, will have her case heard again by the appeal court.
The Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi has cancelled an earlier ruling by the appeal court, which had ordered the woman to pay the fine after she was found guilty of violating residency law.
Public prosecutors had referred the businesswoman to court after investigations suggested that she had allowed a man, who was under her firm's sponsorship to work for a different company without following the necessary employee transfer procedures. Officers said that after the expiration of the worker's residence visa, the woman didn't renew it and helped the man to continue stay in the UAE illegally.
The Court of First Instance had cleared the woman of the charges but prosecutors challenged the verdict at the appeal court, which convicted her of allowing an employee to work for a different sponsor. She was fined Dh50,000. The judge, however, cleared the woman of helping her worker stay in the country illegally.
Both the woman and prosecutors appealed to the UAE's top court, which cancelled the appeal court ruling and ordered for a fresh hearing.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi