Massage chair marketer in Dubai found not guilty of raping Filipina, court hears

DUBAI // A marketing executive who was charged with raping a woman in her office was found not guilty on Tuesday morning.

Egyptian HA, 40, had been accused of raping a 29-year-old Filipina at her office after she refused to be massaged by the man.

However, at Dubai Criminal Court last December, HA said the incident “did not happen”.

Prosecutors had said that, on May 21 last year, the Egyptian had visited the Filipina’s office after meeting her two months before when she joined a company on the same floor as his employer.

“He gave me his card after saying he worked for a company selling massaging chairs,” said the woman, adding that she had met him a couple of times in the corridor.

At 5.15pm on the day of the alleged incident she said he knocked on her door asking why she had not yet called him.

“I said I was busy but he asked to explain to me how the massaging chairs worked,” she said, noting that he sat on a sofa and started talking.

She said that he suddenly stood up and grabbed her shoulders to give her a massage but she refused, and this is when he was said to have pushed her and then raped her.

However, the court ruled that the Egyptian was not guilty, with no further details provided.

salamir@thenational.ae