Policemen convicted of beautifying sin after hosting women in apartment

The Court of Appeal heard that when their liaison was interrupted by one of the women’s husbands showing up, one woman ran to the roof and the other jumped out a window.

ABU DHABI // Three policemen who regularly hosted two women in their apartment have appealed against their conviction for beautifying the sin.

The Court of Appeal heard that when their liaison was interrupted by one of the women’s husbands, one woman ran to the roof and the other jumped out a window.

The police officers, M, J and H, all Emirati, and the women, S and A, also Emirati, were convicted of beautifying a sin – a charge relating to romantic but non-sexual liaisons between two people who are not married or engaged – by the First Instance Court and were issued fines.

The men appealed against their conviction, saying they had spent time in jail for something they had not done.

Yesterday, at the Court of Appeal, the first policeman said: “I arrived from police duty at 3am and was shocked when I found the women there. I told them I am a military man and asked them to leave. I did not do anything.”

“We have suffered many damages at work from this case,” the second policeman said.

Chief Justice Dr Khairi Al Kabbash asked them to explain the evidence found in the apartment, which included nappies belonging to one of the women’s baby and female hair accessories.

“In one of your cars, police found one of the women’s purse and it contained official documents of hers and her children,” he said.

The women had argued they were only at the apartment to drop off a note to a colleague who lived in the same building as the men.

“But nothing in the case files provides information about this colleague or piece of paper,” Dr Al Kabbash said.

S and A were not present at the hearing but were represented by their lawyer.

Dr Al Kabbash adjourned the case until April 27 for them to both appear.