ABU DHABI // A senior government official and two subordinates are being prosecuted in court for installing closed-circuit TV cameras in a customer service area.
But the three deny breaching the privacy of female workers, saying the area is a public place.
A K, an Emirati director general of a government authority, and the agency’s Al Ain manager M A, are accused of installing the cameras and connecting them to a computer and phone.
P Y, a Lebanese IT official, is also charged.
A K’s lawyer said his client received a report two years ago that two female employees at the Al Ain branch were engaging in obscene and inappropriate behaviour in the office.
Ali Al Manna’i said the director sought advice from authorities, including his agency’s legal consultant, on placing surveillance cameras at the service centre and was told it was allowed.
“The goal of this action was to preserve the general order and to ward off wrongdoings, especially in Al Ain, which is a small conservative society that does not accept this type of behaviour,” Mr Al Manna’i said.
He said the footage only showed women working at the office, proving that his client had no bad intentions, that nobody’s privacy was breached and that no damage had been done.
Another lawyer representing A K asked the Misdemeanours Court to explain exactly what it meant by “hidden camera”.
He said the cameras were unseen by customers but were visible to staff, and were installed in more than 50 branches across the country.
“It is like the camera above the door of the courtroom on the exit sign,” the lawyer said. “It is well known that these are public places” but could still be monitored.
The Al Ain branch manager’s lawyer, Fayza Moussa, said her client was following orders to have the cameras installed at the centre through another company, which was to do the work after staff had left for the day.
“He could not have refused to follow the orders or object to them, and his position was only to supervise their application,” Ms Moussa said.
She said the cameras were connected to his work mobile, which belonged to the Government, and was linked to test the cameras before connecting them to the computer, which was also owned by the Government.
“There was no criminal agreement between A K and M A to watch a group of women at work,” Ms Moussa said, and it was not proved that the branch manager had sent any footage to his boss.
“Where is the damage that fell upon the victims? And what privacy was breached exactly? Wasn’t the camera present at a public place?
“It wasn’t in the ladies’ bathroom or a bedroom or a changing room, and the door is open to the public.
“Therefore it lacks the privacy that the prosecution’s charges refer to. Therefore there is no crime since it is a public place.”
P Y’s lawyer said that a police report on the footage showed it was merely “normal photos of women”, and there was no indication of a crime being committed.
Prosecutor Ayman Hanafi told the court that this was a case of breaching integrity and an ethical crime that went against Islamic principles.
Mr Hanafi requested that the defendants be punished in accordance with IT crimes laws, and said a confession had been made.
“The tangible and moral factors are available in this case, as the defendant confessed during questioning that he issued the orders to apply the cameras,” he said.
“The criminal intent was also available since the defendant downloaded the clips on the computer and mobile phone.”
At the end of the hearing A K said that the cameras were not hidden and it was illogical that he, as a man known for great achievements, would do such a thing just to watch women for personal reasons.
MA and P Y said that they were simply following the orders of their superiors.
The verdict will be announced on January 27.
hdajani@thenational.ae
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Honeymoonish
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
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T20 World Cup Qualifier A, Muscat
Friday, February 18: 10am - Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm - Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain
Saturday, February 19: 10am - Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm - UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain
Monday, February 21: 10am - Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm - Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines
Tuesday, February 22: 2pm – semi-finals
Thursday, February 24: 2pm – final
UAE squad: Ahmed Raza (captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia
All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The years Ramadan fell in May
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
In the Restaurant: Society in Four Courses
Christoph Ribbat
Translated by Jamie Searle Romanelli
Pushkin Press
Kibsons%20Cares
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Company%20Profile
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5