DUBAI // A pimp who drove a Moroccan woman to clients for sex was jailed for three years at Dubai Criminal Court today.
Syrian salesman MS, 35, rented a flat for AB, 26, and drove her to sex clients across Dubai.
MS denied the charges and told the court that he only helped her find a flat to live in when her aunt called him from Morocco and pleaded for him to help her.
However, AB, pointed at him in court and said he was the man who drove her to customers and took half her income.
"She is lying - her compatriot Fawzia called me from Morocco and asked me to help her because she was coming for the first time to Dubai to work," said the Syrian.
The woman told prosecutors that she arrived to Dubai on January 16 and MS picked her up. He took her to a flat where she stayed with another Moroccan woman and a maid. "He had me stamp a paper that I owed him money, so he makes sure I would repay him Dh45,000 in visa and ticket costs," said the prostitute.
When she finally repaid her debt, she was not allowed to leave, so a heated argument between her and MS ended in her screaming across the building's corridor and knocking on neighbours' doors.
MS ran away and police were notified. He was arrested the next day.
The Moroccan woman was convicted of working as a prostitute and was given one year in prison. Both will be deported after completing their jail terms.
salamir@thenational.ae
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Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
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6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
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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.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
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.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
