Investor, cohorts stab driver in robbery bid

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

An investor sought the help of a relative and two other men in knifing a driver during a botched robbery bid, a court heard on Monday.

The Asian investor, 36, his relative (a worker, 22), the latter’s workmate, 27, and countryman, 26, were hauled into the Criminal Court for having attacked the Pakistani, 45, inside a dark sandy area in Al Muhaisna on Feb.26.

One of them faked a woman’s voice, contacted and convinced the victim ‘she’ wanted to rent his vehicle to move items. When he arrived, the workmate chilli-sprayed his eyes and the countryman stabbed him.

Prosecutors said the gang used stainless steel carpet cutters in stabbing him. The investor and his relative denied. The other two men argued that they disputed over something with the victim and he beat both of them. They claimed they had a video showing the victim thrusting blows on them and insisted they acted in self-defence during the brawl. Prosecutors demanded the toughest penalty. Judge Habib Amir set Jun.27 for the ruling.

In prosecution records, the victim said he was in Naif at around 11pm. A woman contacted seeking his services to move her items from Al Muhaisna to Al Hamriya. She told him to wait at the sandy area in Al Muhaisna. He was waiting when the workmate showed up, entered his vehicle and told him to head to an adjacent sandy area and wait there. Upon arrival, the mask-clad countryman stormed demanding the victim to surrender cash. He refused. The countryman stabbed his left thigh. Here, the workmate told the countryman to cut the victim’s pockets open and take whatever they contained. This happened as the workmate sprayed the victim with chilli.

The workmate also stabbed his chest and left hand. The victim screamed for help and resisted, prompting both men to run away. Records showed the investor’s relative was nearby watching the situation around the scene. An Emirati lieutenant said the workmate upon arrest confessed to have sprayed chilli in the victim’s face. He denied stabbing the victim and insisted it was the countryman who stabbed him on various parts of his body.

The relative upon arrest revealed the investor contacted and told him the victim had Dhs25,000 they wanted to rob and share. The investor proposed they lure and mug him in a dark area not monitored by cameras. The relative mobilised others and kept a watch.  The victim’s fierce resistance shattered the robbery scheme. They fled. The investor upon arrest denied. The countryman was netted at the airport trying to flee. He denied.