DUBAI // Lawyers for two men accused of raping a teenage boy argued in court yesterday that forensic tests showed the boy had not been assaulted and the charges were filed out of spite.
During closing arguments at the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance, the lawyers Dr Fahad al Sabhan and Ali Musabah said prosecutors had not provided physical evidence.
FA, 25, a broadcast technician, and RS, 25, a police corporal, are charged with sexual assault, homosexual rape, kidnapping, physical assault and threatening the 17-year-old Iraqi boy.
Dr al Sabhan told the court: "We established during the trial that the men had argued with the boy after they discovered he stole a phone from them. This case was filed maliciously."
The student met the two men at the Royal House billiards club in Dubai on January 26, 2010, and FA promised him dinner and a gift to celebrate the end of his school examinations. They took him to RS's home, where FA molested him and RS raped him, prosecutors say.
The boy said that after the incident FA drove him to a laundry to wash his kandoura. He said he was forced to eat and was confined in the car with FA for two hours before he was driven home.
"I was not able to sleep that night and I told my mother what happened," the boy told prosecutors. A police case was filed at 3am with al Qusais police and RS was arrested.
Presiding Judge Fahmy Mounir Fahmy adjourned the case to March 27 to issue his verdict.
Specs
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
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Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
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The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.
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Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
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A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
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Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
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Details
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The six points:
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
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Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
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