Dubai tourist cleared of threatening hotel guest

A tourist has been cleared of issuing life treats against a hotel guest in Dubai. The Dubai Court of First Instance had heard earlier that the 28-year-old Russian man “stormed” into a hotel in Jumeirah on April 4. He asked to speak to a guest and later had a phone conversation with him.

A police officer said they were alerted about the incident. “It was around 8pm on April 4. We went to the hotel and spoke to the complainant — a Ukrainian. He recounted how an unknown man had come to the hotel and sought through the reception desk to talk to him on the phone. The complainant said that the suspect threatened to kill him if he did not go down to see him.”

After checking the hotel CCTV cameras, the police traced the suspect and apprehended him in Business Bay on April 8.

“The accused admitted he had gone to the hotel and talked to the guest. He claimed he had a call earlier from a friend who was then in Russia. The latter had another friend who had been looking for the complainant for a while and learned that he was staying at that hotel in Dubai,” the police officer told the prosecutor.

A complaint was lodged at Bur Dubai police station.

In a parade of suspects, including the defendant on trial, two receptionists recognised the accused.

A 23-year-old Lebanese receptionist said that the accused had come after 7.50pm and demanded to talk to the guest. “He claimed he was his friend. The two men spoke for about a minute in Russian that I did not understand. Everything seemed fine. But shortly after the suspect’s quiet departure, the guest called the reception again. He wanted us to call the police right away, to stop the suspect from leaving and to call the manager. He was screaming and sounded really scared. I tried to calm him down.”

The court ruling may be appealed by the Dubai public prosecution.

mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai