Dubai expat fails to repay debt, sends death threats to woman on WhatsApp

Dubai - He faced a charge of making criminal threats online.

An expat, who allegedly threatened to kill a female compatriot if she got him jailed, was charged at a Dubai court on Sunday.
The Court of First Instance heard that the 39-year-old Ethiopian man, who works as a driver, sent the complainant several messages on WhastApp, in which he made the death threats.
One of the messages read: 'If you get me arrested, you won't live in Ethiopia and neither will your offspring.' Another message read: 'Do you think you will live in Ethiopia? You are going to die.'
He faced a charge of making criminal threats online. The man has been detained.
The case dates back to January 2019. A complaint was lodged at Al Qusais police station.
The complainant, 21, said she had known the defendant for about seven months because of her brother, who is also a driver. "He would give me lifts sometimes. We had no previous disputes. But in January this year, he threatened to kill me."
The complainant told the prosecutor that the accused sent her messages on WhatsApp, in which he threatened her. "A message read: 'I did not deny the money. It is better for you to live in the Arab countries'."
During the public prosecution investigation, she said that a few months prior to the complaint, she had lent the defendant Dh2,500 while the latter owes another Dh2,000 to her brother. "I gave him a three-month deadline to pay the money back as he requested. But he did not settle his dues. When I claimed the money back again, he threatened me."
The defendant admitted to the charge in front of the public prosecution investigator.
A copy of the messages, he sent, were translated and used as evidence enclosed to the case file.
A verdict will be issued on May 29.
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai