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Safari company director held for tourist’s rape

A man who has been arrested for allegedly raping a Russian tourist, who was a customer of his safari company, has claimed the woman seduced and then blackmailed him for Dh200,000.

In an attempt to evade authorities, the 40-year-old Asian safari company director criss-crossed the emirates, moving from Dubai to Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, back to Al Ain, to Umm Al Quwain and then to Ras Al Khaimah — all in two short days.

The Dubai Police said they arrested the man 48 hours after the rape, with the help of Ras Al Khaimah Police.

Brigadier Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Director of the General Department of Criminal Investigation, confirmed that the suspect had been moving between various emirates fleeing police.

It is alleged the suspect gave the woman money so that she would not tell the police about him. The suspect denied that he raped the woman and said that it was consensual sex.

The police have referred the forensic report and case to the Dubai Public Prosecution to interrogate both.

Lt-Colonel Ahmed Al Marri, Director of the Criminal Investigation Department, said the 30-year-old Russian woman came to the country on October 25 with a number of relatives. The safari company was organised through their hotel.

Then the suspect came along with employees and a number of cars and they took the group and he chose the group of the girl, who confirmed that she was a virgin when he raped her.

The woman said that after they finished the safari trip, the man tricked her into going to his home and he raped her under threat and psychological pressure despite her pleas to stop telling him that she was a virgin.

After that, he transported her to the hotel and offered to compensate her by buying electronics, mobile phone and camera and other stuff.

Lt-Col Al Marri said the victim told her relatives about what happened and one of them suggested to call him to find a solution for the matter but he refused to arrive at a compromise and then the victim told him that she would inform the police. He noted that the girl was referred to the Forensic Medicine Department and the report confirmed that she was raped and lost her virginity.

He said the police formed a team which tracked the suspect’s movement first to Al Ain, then Abu Dhabi and back to Al Ain, then Umm Al Quwain and finally he rented a room in Ras Al Khaimah. In coordination with the Ras Al Khaimah Police, he was arrested within 48 hours after he fled Dubai.

All this while, the suspect had not responded to police calls to come back and had kept denying that he knew the victim .

During police interrogation, the suspect said he had sex with the woman with her consent and that one of her relatives called him and tried to blackmail him. The person asked for Dh200,000 not to file a police complaint but he declined the offer.

news@khaleejtimes.com