DUBAI // A policewoman has been fined Dh1,000 because, during her third day on the job, a detainee escaped.
AS, 26, was charged with negligence after an elderly Iraqi fled Al Qusais Police Station last July.
In testimony before the Dubai Court of Misdemeanours in April, she denied the charge and said that the woman had been left without handcuffs in an unlocked room without her knowledge.
The young officer had been working in airport security before she was transferred to reception at Al Qusais Police Station, on July 16.
Three days later, the Iraqi detainee was brought to the police station by a fellow officer, NJ.
NJ, 32, told prosecutors that she was supposed to take the detainee to Al Muraqqabat Police Station but no patrol cars were available. At the end of the workday, a higher-ranking officer told her to hand ZM to AS.
NJ said it was part of AS's work to watch over detainees, and admitted that she did not handcuff the woman, because she was old.
AS told prosecutors: "NJ did not handcuff the detainee and left her in an unlocked room without telling me to take the detainee into custody. She just came to me with the woman and said she needed to keep her in a room behind the reception and go home as her working hours were finished."
AS said she then became distracted while answering the phones and attending to people's questions at the station.
"I looked at the detainee and she was still in the room," she said. "When I looked again, she was gone."
[ salamir@thenational.ae ]
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From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
