Maid to be executed for killing woman, baby

A court of cassation in Ras Al Khaimah upheld a death sentence by an appeals court against an Ethiopian housemaid after she was convicted of murdering her Moroccan employer and her little daughter.

The victim’s lawyer Kamel Al Sayyed said the verdict is final and the 23-year-old maid, S. Buhanu, would be executed by shooting after the sentence is endorsed by the ruler of the emirate.

Burhanu attacked her employer with a kitchen knife in late 2010 following an argument during which the 35-year-old Moroccan woman threatened to expel the maid. She stabbed her more than 70 times before she turned her upside down and continue stabbing her in the back.

She then dragged her employer into the bedroom and set her on fire while her 30-month-old daughter was sleeping. The Moroccan woman succumbed to her wounds and burns while her baby died of asphyxia.

The maid had confessed to police that she killed the mother and her daughter and that she locked the burning bed room before fleeing with some jewellery to Sharjah, where she stayed at a friend.

Burhanu had come to the UAE in 2009 and worked for two different families before absconding to Ras Al-Khaimah, where she was employed by the victim for just one week.

Emirati employers accuse maid of sorcery

Abu Dhabi police arrested an Asian housemaid after her Emirati employers accused her of stealing and practising witchcraft against them.

But the prosecution decided to refer her to court on theft charges after finding no evidence she was involved in sorcery.

The family had reported the maid after they found the father’s purse and his wife’s jewellery in her personal box in addition to a picture of the family, hair and other items, according to Albayan newspaper.

“The maid denied she is involved in witchcraft and said she had that photograph as a souvenir,” the paper said.

Indian cleared of Burj Khalifa blast threat

The Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance acquitted an Indian of sending a text message to a police officer to blast Burj Khalifa if he was not  paid a ransom of $1million.

The accused, JFA, used the Indian's mobile phone and sent a message - "tomoro burj kaleefa blast arange no arrange 1oooooo dollar take" - to Major Ahmad Juma Mohammed in Februray.

Major Mohammed, 34, said the message was not clear but “I could understand that Burj Khalifa would be exploded if $1m was not paid. Letter ‘o’ was used instead of zero. I immediately notified the Operation Room and was asked to forward the message, so I did,” he testified.

And police arrested Chaudry from whose mobile phone the message was sent. Investigations led to a 35-year old Pakistani barman at Panorama Hotel.

He testified that JFA and Chaudry (victim) visited the club regularly. However, on not seeing Chaudry for sometime he enquired with one of Chaudry's relative, who said he was in jail. Later when the barman met JFA, he asked him about Chaudry's whereabouts.

"When I saw JFA again, I told him that I heard that Chaudry is in jail and asked him the reason. JFA confirmed the information and said that he will not be released from jail. I was surprised of what he said. Fifteen days ago I met JFA and Chaudry again and he boasted that he was big businessman and that he can send Chaudry [who was standing a little away from him] to jail again," the barman testified.

"JFA told me that he sent Chaudry to jail the first time. He told me that he also sent a text message from his mobile phone but did not tell to whom he sent it to and what the message was. I told Chaudry what I heard from JFA,” the barman told prosecutors.

Meanwhile, JFA has denied the charges of sending the threatening text message. Neither is he yet charged with Chaudry's arrest.

[Image via Shutterstock]

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