ABU DHABI // A Government official was following Interior Ministry orders to install CCTV cameras in a federal authority’s branches, the Appeals Court heard on Wednesday.
A K, an Emirati general director, was convicted by the Misdemeanour Court of breaching female employees’ privacy by placing CCTV cameras in a customer service centre.
His lawyer Zayed Al Shamsi told the court that a ministerial decision by Sheikh Saif was issued to install CCTV cameras in all branches. A K said the applications were conducted legally.
He added that no footage from the camera was found on his computer or phone, except the photo attached in the case files, which was taken as a test.
Chief Justice Dr Khairi Al Kabbash asked if the customer service centre was considered a private area – but the accused said it was a public area.
“None of the authority’s centres are women-only sections, yet some areas are allocated as waiting areas for women and for men,” said A K’s second lawyer Ali Al Mannai.
A K and his co-defendants, M A, the head of the branch where the camera was placed, and a Lebanese IT expert, P, were appealing against their six-months suspended jail sentences and a verdict will be announced on April 29.
hdajani@thenational.ae
